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THE    LIFE    OF 


ADONIRAM    JUDSON 


BY   HIS   SON 

EDWARD     JUDSON 


NEW    YORK 
ANSON     D.    F.    RANDOLPH     &    COMPANY 

900  Broadway,  cor.  20th  Street 


&i{  Bt  the  Estate  of 
Mrd.  Maty  E.  WU*!^ 

»»AV   1  2  19H 


COPYRIGHT,    18S3, 
ly    EDWARD    JUDSON. 


13? '^1 


EDWARD   O.   JENKINS, 

Printer  and  Stereotypery 

20  North  William  St. 


ROBERT   RUTTEK, 

Binder, 
16  &  iiS  E.  14th  St, 


TO    THE    CHILDREN    OF    MISSIONARIES. 

THE    INVOLUNTARY     INHERITORS 

OF     THEIR     PARENTS'     SUFFERINGS    AND     REWARDS, 

THIS    BOOK    IS   AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED 

BY    ONE    OF    THEIR    NUMBER. 


It  is  not  my  purpose  to  present  a  theory  of  missions, 
but  simply  to  give  a  clear  and  consecutive  story  of  my 
father's  life.  I  have  been  impelled  to  do  this  by  the  desire 
that  his  memory  should  be  cherished  in  the  minds  of  the 
rising  generation.  Dr.  Wayland's  noble  and  comprehensive 
Memoir  is  now  out  of  print,  and  it  has  seemed  to  me  that 
a  career  which  may  be  justly  said  to  form  the  main  artery 
of  all  American  foreign  missionary  endeavor,  needed  to  be 
presented  anew.  In  order  to  bring  into  bold  relief  my 
father's  social,  domestic,  and  personal  traits,  I  have  intro- 
duced large  extracts  from  his  letters  and  journals,  which, 
however,  in  a  few  places,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  con- 
densing. Free  use  has  also  been  made  of  the  valuable 
reminiscences  contributed  to  Dr.  Wayland's  Memoir  by 
Mrs.  Emily  C.  Judson. 

E.  J. 

New  York,  January,  1883. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

EARLY      YEARS. 

1 788-1 809. 

Birth — Precocity — Reverence  for  his  father — Ambition  over-stimu- 
lated— His  sister,  Abigail— Playing  church — Removal  to  Wen- 
ham — His  brother  Elnathan — Death  of  a  sister — Childhood  rem- 
iniscences— "Does  the  sun  move?" — Solving  hard  enigmas — 
Proficiency  in  arithmetic — "  Old  Virgil  dug  up  " — Studying  Reve- 
lation— Removal  to  Braintree  'and  to  Plymouth — College  life — 
Teaching  school — Publishing  grammar  and  arithmetic — Conver- 
sion— Early  impressions — Sceptical  views — Journey — Startling 
incident  at  an  inn — Entering  the  Theological  Institute  at  An- 
dover — Self-dedication — Joining  the  Church — Consecration  to 
the  ministry — Fervent   piety 

CHAPTER    II. 

CONSECRATION   TO    MISSIONARY    LIFE. 
1809-1812. 

Buchanan's  "  Star  in  the  East  " — Association  with  kindred  mission- 
ary spirits — Haystack  monument— Obstacles — Attractions  at 
home — Best  men  needed  abroad — Anticipation  of  dangers  and 
hardships-— Application  to  Dr.  Bogue — The  case  laid  before  the 
General  Association — Organization  of  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions — Failure  to  co-operate  with 
the  London  Missionary  Society — Journey  to  England — Captured 
bv  a  French  privateer— Confined  in  the  hold — In  prison  at  Bay- 
onne — Paroled — Scene  at  a  masked  ball — Reception  in  England 
— Personal  appearan-e — Return  to  America — Appointed  by  the 
Board — Meeting  with  Ann  Hasseltine — Incident  at  the  table — 
Sketch  of  Ann  Hasseltine — Marriage — Parting  with  parents — The 
wayside  prayer — Ordination — Parting  with  sister— Embarcation. 

(vii) 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    III. 

VOYAGE      TO      BUR M AH. 
1812-1813. 

The  course — Change  of  views  on  Baptism — Arrival  in  Calcutta — 
Announces  to  the  Board  his  change  of  views — Appeal  to  the 
Baptists — His  baptism— Excluded  from  India  by  the  East  India 
Company — Journey  to  the  Isle  of  France — Death  of  Harriet 
Newell — ^Journey  to  Madras — Voyage  to  Rangoon — Arrival — The 
eflfect  in  America  of  his  change  of  views — Organization  of  a  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society — Beneficial  consequences  of  his  becoming 
a  Baptist — Missionary  operations  widened — Consolidation  and 
growth  of  the  Baptist  denomination 36 

CHAPTER    IV. 

BURMAH. 

Face  of  the  country — Animals — Inhabitants— Industrial  life — Gov- 
ernment— Religion-7-History  and  distribution  of  Buddhism — 
Buddhism  and  Brahminism  contrasted — Life  of  Buddha — Bud- 
dha's Way  of  salvation — Point  of  Departure,  the  Goal,  and  the 
Way — Buddha's  moral  code — Buddhism  and  Christianity.  ....      56 

CHAPTER   V. 

LIFE      IN      RANGOON. 

1813-1819. 

Rangoon  a  strategic  point — First  impressions  of  Rangoon — The 
Ta'ik  before  him — The  evangelization  of  Burmah — The  Means — 
Not  civilization — Not  schools  for  children — The  Gospel  conveyed 
to  the  adult  mind — The  printed  Word — Oral  preaching  of  the 
Gospel — The  press  can  never  supersede  the  pulpit — His  method 
of  preaching — The  Difficulties — Burman  conservatism — Learn- 
ing the  language — Danger  of  persecution — Sublime  faith — Re- 
moval into  the  city  proper — Mrs.  Judson's  declining  health,  and 
voyage  to  Madras — Birth  and  death  of  Roger  Williams  Judson 
— Conversation  between  Mr.  Judson  and  his  Burman  teacher — 
His  illness — Compiling  Burman  Grammar — The  first  tract —  ■ 
Arrival  of  Mr.  Hough  and  the  press — The  first  inquirer — Mat- 
thew translated — 111  health — Horrors  of  the  sea  voyage  to  Ma- 
dras— Mrs.  Judson's    heroism   during  his  absence — Arrival  of 


CONTENTS.  ix 

Messrs.  Colman  and  Wheelock — Beginning  of  public  worship  in 
the  zayat — The  first  baptism — Handpicking  among  the  Bur- 
mans — Rising  persecution  —Determination  to  go  to  Ava — Death 
of  Wheelock 74 

CHAPTER   VI. 

LIFE   IN   RANGOON— CONTINUED. 

1819-1823. 

Journey  to  Ava — Unsuccessful  visit  at  court — Return  to  Rangoon — 
Firmness  of  the  converts — Colman's  death  in  Arracan — Revival 
amid  persecution — First  baptism  of  a  Burman  woman — Letter 
from  Burman  converts  to  American  churches — Mrs.  Judson's 
alarming  illness — The  voyage  to  Calcutta  and  return — Series  of 
conversions  and  baptisms — Mrs.  Judson's  visit  to  America — Per- 
sonal appearance — Mr.  Judson's  solitude— Arrival  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Price— Death  of  Mrs.  Price — Second  journey  to  Ava — 
Favorable  reception  at  Court — Return  to  Rangoon — Purpose  to 
establish  a  mission  at  Ava 147 

CHAPTER   VH. 

LIFE    IN   AVA    AND    OUNG-PEN-LA. 
1823-1826. 

Third  journey  to  Ava — Bright  prospects — Gathering  war-cloud — 
Cold  reception  at  Court — War  between  the  English  and  Bur- 
mans-  All  the  white  foreigners  thrown  into  prison — Duration  of 
imprisonment — The  place — Horrors  of  an  Oriental  jail — Serene 
faith — Mrs.  Judson's  intercessions — Birth  of  Maria — Removal  to 
Oung-pen-la — Final  release — His  personal 'reminiscences  of  his 
captivity — A  British  officer's  description  of  Mrs.  Judson 212 

CHAPTER   Vni, 

LIFE      IN      AMHERST. 
1826-1827. 

Treaty  of  peace — Condition  of  affairs  in  Rangoon — The  Wades  and 
Boardmans  at  Calcutta — Description  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boardman 
— The  foundingof  Amherst — Removal  to  Amherst — Accompany- 
ing the  English  Embassy  to  Ava — Uncongenial  employment — 
Mrs.  Judson's  death — His  return   to   Amherst — Arrival  of  the 


X  CONTENTS. 

Wades  and  Boardmans — Death  of  little  Maria — Decline  of  Am- 
herst— Removal  to  Maulmain— Death  of  Mah-men-la — Death  of 
his  father 282 

CHAPTER    IX. 

LIFE     IN     MAULMAIN. 
1827-183I. 

Guyonism — Tendency  toward  asceticism — Physical  constitution 
shaken  by  tortures  and  sorrows — Solitude — American  Christians 
slow  to  send  reinforcements  —  Intense  piety— Forms  of  self- 
mortification — Gives  property  to  the  Board — Destroys  all  corre- 
spondence and  materials  for  eulogiums — Crucifies  tnste  for  litera- 
ture— Gives  up  society — His  intense  socialness — Recovery  of 
equilibrium — The  mission-house  at  Maulmain — Bold  robbery — 
Zayat  work — School  work — Women  and  children  persecuted — 
Sufferings  of  Mee-Shway-ee — Work  of  translation — Ordination 
of  Moung-Thah-a — Ordmation  and  death  of  Moung-Ing — Re- 
moval of  Boardman  to  Tavoy — Death  of  Elnathan  Judson — Ar- 
rival of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett— Removal  of  the  Wades  to  Ran- 
goon— Mr.  Judson  repairs  to  Rangoon — Attempt  to  establish 
a  mission  in  Prome — Return  to  Rangoon — Burman  thirst  for  the 
Word — Distribution  of  tracts — Seclusion  at  Rangoon  for  the 
Bible  translation — Interior  of  his  study — Invitation  to  visit 
America  declined — Regard  for  the  health  of  his  missionary  asso- 
ciates— Death  of  Boardman 303 

CHAPTER    X. 

LIFE     IN     MAULMAIN — CONTINUED. 
1831-1845. 

Return  to  Maulmain — Condition  of  affairs — The  Karens — Views  of 
ministerial  education — Tours  in  the  Karen  jungles — Reinforce- 
ments from  America — His  personal  habits — His  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Boardman — Her  heroic  career  at  Tavoy — Parting  with 
George — Translating  the  Bible — Revision — His  views  of  dis- 
tributing the  Bible — His  views  of  the  Old  Testament — The  ex- 
cellence of  his  Burman  version  of  the  Bible — Teaching  and 
preaching— Personal  appearance — Annals  of  domestic  life — Birth 
ofAbbyAnn — Birth  of  Adoniram  Brown — Declining  health — 
Birth  of  Elnathan— Voyage  to  Calcutta  and  return — Birth  of 
Henry— Birth  of  Luther — Voyage  of  the  family  to  Calcutta — 


cox  TEXTS.  XI 

Death  of  Henry  at  Serampore — Return  to  Maulmain  via  Isle  of 
France — Incidents  of  the  voyag-e — Birth  of  Henry  Hall — Death 
of  his  aged  mother  at  Plymouth — Beginning  the  Burman  dic- 
tionary  - . .        •  . .   376 

CHAPTER    XI. 

VISIT     TO     AMERICA. 

1 845-1 846. 

The  births  of  Charles  and  Edward — Mrs.  Judson's  declining  health 
— Voyage  to  America  necessary — Arrival  at  the  Isle  of  France — 
"  We  part  on  this  green  islet,  love  " — Mrs.  Judson's  death  at  St. 
Helena — Arrival  in  Boston— His  humility — An  address  in  Eaton 
— A  sermon  at  Plymouth — Missionary  mass-meeting  in  Boston — 
Providence — New  York — Bradford — Death  of  Charlie — Phila- 
delphia— Utica — Waterville  College  —  Hamilton — Richmond — 
Baltimore — Sketch  of  Emily  Chubbuck — His  first  meeting  with 
Emily  Chubbuck^-Marriage — Conflicting  public  opinions— Jud- 
son  longs  for  his  Burman  home — Farewell  to  his  sister  and  to 
his  children — Embarcation 442 

CHAPTER    XII. 
LAST  YEARS. 

I 846- I 8 50. 

Passing  St.  Helena — The  Isle  of  France  and  Amherst — Arrival  at 
Maulmain — Resuming  work  on  the  dictionary — Removal  to 
Rangoon — "  Bat  Castle  " — Sickness,  suffering,  and  persecution 
at  Rangoon — Retreat  to  Maulmain — The  permission  that  came 
too  late — Preaching,  translating,  and  pastcal  work — A  spirit 
unconquerably  youthful — Personal  appearance — Correspondence 
with  the  Crown  Prince  of  Siam — Sympathy  w.ith  those  in  sor- 
row— Domestic  life — Birth  of  "  My  Bird  " — Mrs.  Judson's  de- 
clining health — His  last  illness  and  death  at  sea — Birth  and 
death  of  "  Angel  Charlie  " — Closing  scenes — "  Sweet  mother  "..   494 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

POSTHUMOUS     INFLUENCE. 

The  Burman  Dictionary  unfinished — Summary  of  results  in  Bur- 
mah — The  difficulties  overcome — Results  in  America — Forma- 


xii  CONTENTS. 

tion  of  missionaiy  organizations — The  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners for  Foreign  Missions — The  American  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Union — Missionary  societies  among  the  Episcopalians, 
Methodists,  and  Presbyterians — Indirect  influences  of  his  life — 
His  sufferings  fruitful  of  blessing — The  graves  of  our  mission- 
aries      550 


APPENDIX. 

A. — Autobiographical  Record  of  Dates  and  Events,  by  A.  Judson.  561 

B. — Mr.  Judson's  First  Tract  for  the  Burmans   568 

C— The  Threefold  Cord 571 

D. — Advice  to  Missionary  Candidates 577 

E. — The  Kathayan  Slave 580 

F. — Wayside  Preaching 589 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Portrait  of  Adoniram  Judson,  -  -  -  -  Ffontzspz'ece 
Maps,  -_-_-___        Pages  xiv  and  xv 

Portrait  of  Adoniram  Judson,  Jun.,  _       _       _  Page    31 

Exterior  of  Prison  Enclosure,  -  -  -  -  -  "  219 
Interior  of  Prison,  -_-___-"  221 
Portrait  cf  Ann  H.  Judson,  -  -  -  -  -  "  263 
Fac-Simile  of  Mrs.  S.  B.  Judson's  Handwriting,  -  "  456 
Fac-Simile  of  Adoniram  Judson's  Handwriting,  -  "  457 
Portrait  of  Emily  C.  Judson,  -  -  -  -  -  "  485 
Mrs.  E.  C,  Judson  and  Family,    -       -       -       -       -      "     547 


THE  I.AND  HEMISPHERE 


tngapore 


BURJMAIT, 


CHAPTER   I. 

EARLY    YEARS. 
1 788-1 809. 

The  traveller  who  visits  Maiden,  Massachusetts,  one  of 
the  picturesque  suburban  towns  of  Boston,  may  find  in  the 
Baptist  meeting-house  a  marble  tablet,  bearing  the  follow- 
ing inscription  : 

IN   MEMORIAM. 

REV.  ADONIRAM   JUDSON. 

BORN   AUG.  9.  1788. 

DIED  APRIL  12,  1850. 

MALDZN,   HIS  BIRTHPLACE. 

THE  OCEAN,   HIS  SEPULCHRE. 

CONVERTED  BURMANS,  AND 

THE   BURMAN  BIBLE, 

HIS  MONUMENT. 

HIS   RECORD   IS  ON   HIGH. 

An  old  wooden  house  embosomed  among  the  trees  is 
still  pointed  out  as  the  birthplace  of  Adoniram  Judson. 
His  father,  who  also  bore  the  quaint,  scriptural  name  of 
Adoniram,  was  a  Congregationalist  minister,  born  in  Wood- 
bur}%  Connecticut,  in  June,  1752.  He  was  married  Novem- 
ber  23,  1786,  to  Abigail  Brown,  who  was  born  at  Tiverton, 
Rhode  Island,  December  15,  1759.  Soon  after  his  marriage 
he  settled  in  Maiden,  Massachusetts,  and  here  his  eldest 
son,  Adoniram,  was  born. 


2  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

The  boy  was  very  precocious,  learning  to  read  when  he 
was  only  three  years  old.  While  his  father  was  absent  on 
a  journey,  his  mother  conceived  the  idea  of  teaching  her 
child  to  read,  in  order  that  she  might  give  her  husband  an 
agreeable  surprise  on  his  return.  She  succeeded  so  well 
that  upon  his  father's  return  he  saluted  him  by  reading  a 
whole  chapter  in  the  Bible. 

His  affection  for  his  father  must  have  been  deeply  tinged 
with  awe  ;  for  the  elder  Adoniram  was  a  stern  man,  and  very 
strict  in  his  domestic  administration.  One  who  saw  him  in 
his  later  life,  when  he  was  over  seventy  years  of  age,  says: 

"  He  was,  as  I  remember  him,  a  man  of  decidedly  imposing  appear- 
ance. His  stature  was  rather  above  the  average.  His  white  hair,  erect 
position,  grave  utterance,  and  somewhat  taciturn  manner,  together  with 
the  position  he  naturally  took  in  society,  left  one  somewhat  at  a  loss 
whether  to  class  him  with  a  patriarch  of  the  Hebrews  or  a  censor  of  the 
Romans.  He  was  through  life  esteemed  a  man  of  inflexible  integrity 
and  uniform  consistency  of  Christian  character. " 

To  the  influence  of  such  a  father  perhaps  were  due  the 
stately  courtesy  that  characterized  Mr.  Judson's  social  inter- 
course throughout  his  whole  life,  and  the  dignity  of  style 
which  pervaded  even  his  most  familiar  letters. 

His  father  stimulated  his  ambition  to  the  utmost.  He 
seems  early  to  have  formed  the  hope  that  his  boy  was  to 
become  a  great  man,  and  he  took  no  pains  to  hide  this 
expectation ;  so  that  even  in  childhood  Adoniram's  heart 
came  to  be  full  of  worldly  ambition,  which  in  subsequent 
years  had  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross.  For  if  a  man  can  sink 
the  desire  to  be  great  in  a  passion  for  doing  good,  then  his 
greatness  really  begins.  "  No  man,"  says  Carlyle,  "  rises  so 
high  as  he  who  knows  not  whither  he  is  going." 

The  family  lived  in  Maiden  until  Adoniram  was  about 
four  and  a  half  years  old.  During  that  time  his  sister, 
Abigail  Brown  Judson,was  born,  to  become  the  companion 
of  his  childhood  and  his  life-long  confidante.  She  still  sur- 
vives him  ;  and  in  the  old  homestead  at  Plymouth,  at  the 


EARLY  YEARS.  3 

age  of  more  than  ninety  years,  awaits  a  reunion  with  that 
brother  of  whose  "  affectionate  tenderness  "  she  has  still  a 
"  vivid  recollection."  She  remembers  hearing  her  parents 
relate  how  even  in  those  early  childhood  days  in  Maiden, 
when  her  brother  was  only  four  years  old,  he  used  to  gather 
together  the  children  of  the  neighborhood  to  play  church, 
he  ofificiating  as  minister;  and  that  even  then  his  favorite 
hymn  was  the  one  beginning,  "  Go  preach  my  Gospel,  saith 
the  Lord." 

In  January,  1793,  the  family  removed  to  Wenham,  Mas- 
sachusetts, a  village  about  twenty  miles  north-east  of  Boston. 
Here  Adoniram  lived  until  he  was  twelve  years  old.  Here 
his  brother  Elnathan,  who  became  a  surgeon  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  was  born  May  ■  28,  1794.  Here,  too,  when 
Adoniram  was  eight  years  old,  his  sister  Mary  was  born, 
and  died  six  months  later.  The  loss  of  this  little  sister 
must  have  marked  an  epoch  in  his  boyhood,  for  memorable 
is  the  hour  when  the  keen  ploughshare  of  sorrow  tears  up 
the  fresh  turf  of  a  child's  heart. 

Wenham,  too,  was  the  scene  of  many  of  the  following 
reminiscences,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  pen  of 
Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  : 

"  Adoniram  was  about  seven  years  old,  when,  having  been 
duly  instructed  that  the  earth  is  a  spherical  body,  and  that  it 
revolves  around  the  sun,  it  became  a  serious  question  in  his 
mind  whether  or  not  the  sun  moved  at  all.  He  might  have 
settled  the  point  by  asking  his  father  or  mother  ;  but  that 
would  have  spoiled  all  his  pleasant  speculations,  and  prob- 
ably would  have  been  the  very  last  thing  to  occur  to  him. 
His  little  sister,  whom  alone  he  consulted,  said  the  sun  did 
move,  for  she  could  see  it ;  but  he  had  learned  already,  in 
this  matter,  to  distrust  the  evidence  of  his  senses,  and  he 
talked  so  wisely  about  positive  proof,  that  she  was  astonished 
and  silenced.  Soon  after  this,  he  was  one  day  missed  about 
midday  ;  and  as  he  had  not  been  seen  for  several  hours,  his 
father  became  uneasv  and  went  in  search  of  him.     He  was 


4  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

found  in  a  field,  at  some  distance  from  the  house,  stretched 
on  his  back,  his  hat  with  a  circular  hole  cut  in  the  crown,  laid 
over  his  face,  and  his  swollen  eyes  almost  blinded  with  the 
intense  light  and  heat.  He  only  told  his  father  that  he  was 
looking  at  the  sun  ;  but  he  assured  his  sister  that  he  had 
solved  the  problem  with  regard  to  the  sun's  moving,  though 
she  never  could  comprehend  the  process  by  which  he  arrived 
at  the  result. 

"  He  was  noted  among  his  companions  for  uncommon 
acuteness  in  the  solution  of  charades  and  enigmas,  and  re- 
tained a  great  store  of  them  in  his  memory  for  the  purpose 
of  puzzling  his  school-fellows.  On  one  occasion  he  found  in 
a  newspaper  an  enigma  rather  boastfully  set  forth,  and  ac- 
companied by  a  challenge  for  a  solution.  He  felt  very  sure 
that  he  had  'guessed  riddles  as  hard  as  that,'  and  gave  him- 
self no  rest  until  he  had  discovered  a  satisfactory  answer.  This 
he  copied  out  in  as  fair  a  hand  as  possible,  addressed  it  to  the 
editor,  and,  with  no  confidante  but  his  sister,  conveyed  it  to 
the  post-office.  But  the  postmaster  supposed  it  to  be  some 
mischievous  prank  of  the  minister's  son,  and  he  accordingly 
placed  the  letter  in  the  hands  of  the  father.  The  poor  boy's 
surprise  and  discomfiture  may  be  imagined  when  he  saw  it 
paraded  on  the  table  after  tea.  '  Is  that  yours,  Adoniram  ? ' 
'  Yes,  sir.'  *  How  came  you  to  write  it  ? '  Silence.  'What  is 
it  about?'  Falteringly,  'Please  read  it,  father.'  'I  do  not 
read  other  people's  letters.  Break  the  seal,  and  read  it  your- 
self.' Adoniram  broke  the  seal  and  mumbled  over  the  con- 
tents, then  placed  the  letter  in  his  father's  hands.  He  read 
it,  called  for  the  newspaper  which  had  suggested  it,  and  after 
reading  and  re-reading  both,  laid  them  on  the  table,  crossed 
his  hands  on  his  knees,  and  looked  intently  into  the  fire. 
Meantime  Adoniram  stood  silently  watching  his  countenance, 
speculating  on  the  chances  of  his  being  treated  as  a  culprit, 
or  praised  for  his  acuteness.  But  the  father  woke  from  his 
reverie,  the  subject  of  conversation  was  changed,  and  the 
letter  never  heard  of  afterward.  The  next  morning  Adoni- 
ram's  father  gravely  informed  him  that  he  had  purchased  for 
his  use  a  book  of  riddles,  a  very  common  one,  but,  as  soon  as 


EARLY  YEARS.  5 

he  had  solved  all  that  it  contained,  he  should  have  more  diffi- 
cult books.  '  You  are  a  very  acute  boy,  Adoniram,'  he  added, 
patting  him  on  the  head  with  unusual  affection,  '  and  I  ex- 
pect you  to  become  a  great  man.'  Adoniram  seized  upon 
the  book  of  riddles  joyfully,  and  was  a  good  deal  surprised 
and  disappointed  to  find  it  the  veritable  arithmetic  which  the 
larger  boys  in  Master  Dodge's  school  were  studying.  But 
then  his  father  had  praised  him,  and  if  there  was  anything 
puzzling  in  the  arithmetic,  he  was  sure  he  should  like  it ;  and 
so  he  prepared  to  enter  upon  the  study  with  alacrity. 

"  Before  reaching  his  tenth  year,  he  had  gained  quite  a 
reputation  for  good  scholarship,  especially  in  arithmetic.  A 
gentleman  residing  in  the  neighboring  town  of  Beverly  sent 
him  a  problem,  with  the  offer  of  a  dollar  for  the  solution. 
Adoniram  immediately  shut  himself  in  his  chamber.  The 
reward  was  tempting  ;  but,  more  important  still,  his  reputa- 
tion was  at  stake.  On  the  morning  of  the  second  day  he  was 
called  from  his  seclusion  to  amuse  his  little  brother,  who  was 
ill.  He  went  reluctantly,  but  without  murmuring,  for  the 
government  of  his  parents  was  of  a  nature  that  no  child 
would  think  of  resisting.  His  task  was  to  build  a  cob-house. 
He  laid  an  unusually  strong  foundation,  with  unaccountable 
slowness  and  hesitation,  and  was  very  deliberately  proceed- 
ing with  the  superstructure,  when  suddenly  he  exclaimed, 
*  That's  it.  I've  got  it !  '  and  sending  the  materials  for  the 
half-built  house  rolling  about  the  room,  he  hurried  off  to  his 
chamber  to  record  the'  result.  The  problem  was  solved,  the 
dollar  was  won,  and  the  boy's  reputation  established. 

"At  the  age  of  ten  he  was  sent  to  one  Captain  Morton,  of 
whom  he  took  lessons  in  navigation,  in  which  he  is  said  to 
have  made  decided  progress.  In  the  grammar-school  he  was 
noted  for  his  proficiency  in  the  Greek  language.  His  school- 
mates nicknamed  him  Virgil,  or  (in  allusion  to  the  peculiar 
style  of  the  hat  which  he  wore,  as  well  as  to  his  studious 
habits)  'old  Virgil  dug  up.'  As  a  boy,  he  was  spirited,  self- 
confident,  and  exceedingly  enthusiastic,  very  active  and  en- 
ergetic, but  fonder  of  his  books  than  of  play.  His  sister  has 
a  vivid  recollection  of  his  affectionate  tenderness  toward  her, 


6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

and  of  his  great  kindness  to  inferior  animals.  He  was  very 
fond  of  desultory  reading  ;  and  as  there  were  no  books  for 
children  at  that  period,  he  alternated  between  the  books  of 
theology  found  in  his  father's  library  and  the  novels  of 
Richardson  and  Fielding,  or  the  plays  of  Ben  Jonson,  which 
he  was  able  to  borrow  in  the  neighborhood.  It  is  not  prob- 
able that  his  father  encouraged  this  latter  class  of  reading  ; 
but  the  habits  of  self-dependence,  which  he  had  thought 
proper  to  cultivate  in  his  son,  left  his  hours  of  leisure  mostly 
untrammelled;  and  seeing  the  greediness  with  which  the  boy 
occasionally  devoured  books  of  the  gravest  character,  it  very 
likely  had  not  occurred  to  him  that  he  could  feel  the  least 
possible  interest  in  any  work  of  the  imagination. 

"  Before  Adoniram  was  twelve  years  of  age,  he  had  heard 
visitors  at  his  father's  talk  a  great  deal  of  a  new  exposition 
of  the  Apocalypse,  which  they  pronounced  a  work  of  rare 
interest.  Now,  the  Revelation  was  the  book  that,  of  all 
others  in  the  Bible,  he  delighted  most  to  read  ;  and  he  had 
searched  the  few  commentators  his  father  possessed  without 
getting  much  light  upon  its  mysteries.  The  new  exposition 
was  owned  by  a  very  awe-inspiring  gentleman  in  the  neigh- 
borhood ;  but  Adoniram  felt  that  he  must  have  it,  and  after 
combating  a  long  time  with  his  bashfulness,  he  at  last  deter- 
mined on  begging  the  loan  of  it.  He  presented  himself  in 
the  great  man's  library,  and  was  coldly  and  sternly  refused. 
For  once,  his  grief  and  mortification  were  so  great  that  he 
could  not  conceal  the  affair  from  his  father.  He  received 
more  sympathy  than  he  anticipated.  *  Not  lend  it  to  you  ! ' 
said  the  good  man,  indignantly  ;  '  1  wish  /;<?  could  understand 
it  half  as  well.  You  shall  have  books,  Adoniram,  just  as 
many  as  you  can  read,  and  I'll  go  to  Boston  myself  for  them.' 
He  performed  his  promise,  but  the  desired  work  on  the 
Apocalypse,  perhaps  for  judicious  reasons,  was  not  obtained." 

In  the  year  1800  the  family  removed  to  Braintree,  and  two 
years  later,  when  Adoniram  was  fourteen  years  old,  took  up 
their  abode  in  the  old  historic  town  of  Plymouth.  In  1804 
he  entered  Providence  College — subsequently  called  Brown 
University — one  year  in  advance. 


EARLY  YEARS.  7 

During  his  college  course  he  was  a  hard  student ;  and  in 
1807,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  was  graduated  the  valedictorian 
of  his  class,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  for  six  weeks  of  the 
Senior  year  he  was  absent,  engaged  in  teaching  school  in 
Plymouth.  He  was  ambitious  to  excel;  and  a  classmate 
says  of  him,  he  has  "  no  recollection  of  his  ever  failing,  or 
even  hesitating,  in  recitation."  He  had  a  powerful  rival  in 
his  friend  Bailey,*  and  this  probably  added  zest  to  his  am- 
bition. When  he  received  the  highest  appointment  in  the 
commencement  exercises,  his  delight  knew  no  bounds.  He 
hurried  to  his  room,  and  wrote,  "  Dear  father,  I  have  got  it. 
Your  affectionate  son,  A.  J."  He  then  took  a  circuitous 
route  to  the  post-office,  that  he  might  quiet  the  beatings  of 
his  heart,  and  appear  with  propriety  before  his  classmates, 
and  especially  before  his  rival  friend. 

To  his  circumspect  and  studious  behavior  while  in  col- 
lege, a  letter  to  his  father  from  the  President  of  the  College 
bears  unequivocal  witness : 

"Brown  University,  April Tp^  1805. 

"  Rev.  Sir  :  Notwithstanding  the  greatness  of  my  present  hurry,  I 
must  drop  you  a  word  respecting  your  son  ;  and  this,  I  can  assure  you, 
is  not  by  way  of  complaint.  A  uniform  propriety  of  conduct,  as  well  as 
an  intense  application  to  study,  distinguishes  his  character.  Your  ex- 
pectations of  him,  however  sanguine,  must  certainly  be  gratified.  I 
most  heartily  congratulate  you,  my  dear  sir,  on  that  charming  prospect 
which  you  have  exhibited  in' this  very  amiable  and  promising  son  ;  and  I 
most  heartily  pray  that  the  Father  of  mercies  may  make  him  now,  while 
a  youth,  a  son  in  his  spiritual  family,  and  give  him  an  earnest  of  the  in- 
heritance of  the  saints  in  light. 

"  I  am,  very  respectfully, 

"  Your  friend  and  servant, 

"  Asa  Messer." 

In  the  autumn  of  1807,  young  Judson  opened  in  Plym- 
outh a  private  Academy,  which  he  taught  for  nearly  a 
year.     During  this  time  he  also  published  two  text-books : 


»  The  late  Hon.  John  Bailey,  member  of  Congress  from  Massachusetts. 


8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON. 

"The  Elements  of  English  Grammar,"  and  "The  Young 
Lady's  Arithmetic." 

But  the  most  important  event  of  this  period  of  his  life 
was  his  conversion.  In  a  condensed  journal  of  his,  entitled 
"A  Record  of  Dates  and  Events  pertaining  to  the  Life  of 
Adoniram  Judson," — a  valuable  document  still  preserved  in 
autograph,  and  reproduced  in  the  Appendix — may  be  found 
the  following  entry:  "1808,  Nov.  Began  to  entertain  a 
hope  of  having  received  the  regenerating  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."* 

From  his  earliest  years  he  had  indeed  breathed  a  thorough- 
ly Christian  atmosphere.  He  could  truly  have  said  with 
St.  Augustine,  "  This  name  of  my  Saviour,  Thy  Son,  had 
my  tender  heart,  even  with  my  mother's  milk,  devoutly 
drunk  in,  and  deeply  cherished ;  and  whatsoever  was  with- 
out that  name,  though  never  so  learned,  polished,  or  true, 
took  not  entire  hold  of  me." 

The  following  reminiscences  of  his  youth,  by  Mrs.  E.  C. 
Judson,  show  that  years  before  he  had  given  serious  thought 
to  the  subject  of  personal  religion : 

"  When  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  studies  were  inter- 
rupted by  a  serious  attack  of  illness,  by  which  he  was  re- 
duced to  a  state  of  extreme  weakness,  and  for  a  long  time 
his  recovery  was  doubtful.  It  was  more  than  a  year  before 
he  was  able  to  resume  his  customary  occupations.  Previous 
to  this,  he  had  been  too  actively  engaged  to  devote  much 
time  to  thought ;  but  as  soon  as  the  violence  of  the  disease 
subsided,  he  spent  many  long  days  and  nights  in  reflecting 
on  his  future  course.  His  plans  were  of  the  most  extrava- 
gantly ambitious  character.  Now  he  was  an  orator,  now  a 
poet,  now  a  statesman  ;  but  whatever  his  character  or  pro- 
fession, he  was  sure  in  his  castle-building  to  attain  to  the 
highest  eminence.  After  a  time,  one  thought  crept  into  his 
mind,  and  embittered  all  his  musings.  Suppose  he  should 
attain  to  the  very  highest  pinnacle  of  which  human  nature  is 

*  See  Appendix  A. 


EARLY  YEARS.  9 

capable  ;  what  then  ?  Could  he  hold  his  honors  forever  ? 
His  favorites  of  other  ages  had  long  since  been  turned  to 
dust,  and  what  was  it  to  them  that  the  world  still  praised 
them  ?  What  would  it  be  to  him,  when  a  hundred  years  had 
gone  by,  that  America  had  never  known  his  equal  ?  He  did 
not  wonder  that  Alexander  wept  when  at  the  summit  of  his 
ambition  ;  he  felt  very  sure  that  he  should  have  wept  too. 
Then  he  would  become  alarmed  at  the  extent  of  his  own 
wicked  soarings,  and  try  to  comfort  himself  with  the  idea 
that  it  was  all  the  result  of  the  fever  in  his  brain. 

"  One  day  his  mind  reverted  to  religious  pursuits.  Yes,  an 
eminent  divine  was  very  well,  though  he  should  of  course 
prefer  something  more  brilliant.  Gradually,  and  without  his 
being  aware  of  his  own  train  of  thought,  his  mind  instituted 
a  comparison  between  the  great  worldly  divine,  toiling  for 
the  same  perishable  objects  as  his  other  favorites,  and  the 
humble  minister  of  the  Gospel,  laboring  only  to  please  God 
and  benefit  his  fellow-men.  There  was  (so  he  thought)  a 
sort  of  sublimity  about  that,  after  all.  Surely  the  world  was 
all  wrong,  or  such  a  self-abjuring  man  would  be  its  hero. 
Ah,  but  the  good  man  had  a  reputation  more  enduring.  Yes, 
yes,  his  fame  was  sounded  before  him  as  he  entered  the  other 
world  ;  and  that  was  the  only  fame  worthy  of  the  possession, 
because  the  only  one  that  triumphed  over  the  grave.  Sud- 
denly, in  the  midst  of  his  self-gratulation,  the  words  flashed 
across  his  mind,  'Not  unto  us,  not  unto  us,  but  to  Thy  name 
be  the  glory.'  He  was  confounded.  Not  that  he  had  actu- 
ally made  himself  the  representative  of  this  last  kind  of  great- 
ness ;  it  was  not  sufficiently  to  his  taste  for  that ;  but  he  had 
ventured  on  dangerous  ground,  and  he  was  startled  by  a 
flood  of  feelings  that  had  till  now  remained  dormant.  He 
had  always  said  and  thought,  so  far  as  he  had  thought  any- 
thing about  it,  that  he  wished  to  become  truly  religious  ;  but 
now  religion  seemed  so  entirely  opposed  to  all  his  ambitious 
plans,  that  he  was  afraid  to  look  into  his  heart,  lest  he  should 
discover  what  he  did  not  like  to  confess,  even  to  himself — 
that  he  did  not  want  to  become  a  Christian.  He  was  fully 
awake  to   the  vanity  of  worldly  pursuits,  and  was,  on  the 


10  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

whole,  prepared  to  yield  the  palm  of  excellence  to  religious 
ones  ;  but  his  father  had  often  said  he  would  one  day  be  a 
great  man,  and  a  great  man  he  had  resolved  to  be." 

During  his  college  course  he  began  to  cherish  skeptical 


"  It  was  at  this  period  that  French  infidelity  was  sweeping 
over  the  land  like  a  flood  ;  and  free  inquiry  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion was  supposed  to  constitute  part  of  the  education  of 
every  man  of  spirit.  Young  Judson  did  not  escape  the  con- 
tamination.    In  the  class  above  him  was  a  young  man  by  the 

name  of  E ,  who  was  amiable,  talented,  witty,  exceedingly 

agreeable  in  person  and  manners,  but  a  confirmed  Deist.  A 
very  strong  friendship  sprang  up  between  the  two  young 
men,  founded  on  similar  tastes  and  sympathies  ;  and  Judson 
soon  became,  at  least  professedly,  as  great  an  unbeliever  as 
his  friend.  The  subject  of  a  profession  was  often  discussed 
between  them.  At  one  time  they  proposed  entering  the  law, 
because  it  afforded  so  wide  a  scope  for  political  ambition  ; 
and  at  another,  they  discussed  their  own  dramatic  powers, 
with  a  view  to  writing  plays. 

"  Immediately  on  closing  the  school  at  Plymouth,  Judson 
set  out  on  a  tour  through  the  Northern  States.  After  visit- 
ing some  of  the  New  England  States,  he  left  the  horse  with 
w^hich  his  father  had  furnished  him  with  an  uncle  in  Sheffield, 
Connecticut,  and  proceeded  to  Albany  to  see  the  wonder  of 
the  world,  the  newly-invented  Robert  Fulton  steamer.  She 
was  about  proceeding  on  her  second  trip  to  New  York,  and 
he  gladly  took  passage  in  her.  The  magnificent  scenery  of 
the  Hudson  had  then  excited  comparatively  little  attention, 
and  its  novelty  and  sublimity  could  not  fail  to  make  a  deep 
and  lasting  impression  on  one  of  Judson's  ardent  and  advent- 
urous spirit.  Indeed,  during  his  last  illness,  he  described  it 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  that  he  might  have  done  in  his  youth. 
His  name  was  frequently  mistaken  for  that  of  Johnson  ;  and 
it  occurred  to  him  that,  in  the  novel  scenes  before  him,  he 
might  as  well  use  this  convenient  disguise,  in  order  to  see  as 
deeply  into  the  world   as  possible.     He  therefore,  without 


EARLY  YEARS.  II 

actually  giving  out  the  name  with  distinctness,  or  ever  writ- 
ing it  down,  became  Mr.  Johnson.  He  had  not  been  long  in 
New  York  before  he  contrived  to  attach  himself  to  a  theatri- 
cal company,  not  with  the  design  of  entering  upon  the  stage, 
but  partly  for  the  purpose  of  familiarizing  himself  with  its 
regulations,  in  case  he  should  enter  upon  his  literary  proj- 
ects, and  partly  from  curiosity  and  love  of  adventure.* 

"  Before  setting  out  upon  his  tour  he  had  unfolded  his  in- 
fidel sentiments  to  his  father,  and  had  been  treated  with  the 
severity  natural  to  a  masculine  mind  that  has  never  doubted, 
and  to  a  parent  who,  after  having  made  innumerable  sacri- 
fices for  the  son  of  his  pride  and  his  love,  sees  him  rush 
recklessly  on  to  his  own  destruction.  His  mother  was  none 
the  less  distressed,  and  she  wept,  and  prayed,  and  expostu- 
lated. He  knew  his  superiority  to  his  father  in  argument  ; 
but  he  had  nothing  to  oppose  to  his  mother's  tears  and 
'warnings,  and  they  followed  him  now  wherever  he  went. 
He  knew  that  he  was  on  the  verge  of  such  a  life  as  he 
despised.  For  the  world  he  would  not  see  a  young  brother 
in  his  perilous  position;  but  'I,'  he  thought,  *am  in  no 
danger.  I  am  only  seeing  the  world — the  dark  side  of  it,  as 
well  as  the  bright ;  and  I  have  too  much  self-respect  to  do 
anything  mean  or  vicious.'  After  seeing  what  he  wished  of 
New  York,  he  returned  to  Sheffield  for  his  horse,  intending 
to  pursue  his  journey  westward.     His  uncle.  Rev.  Ephraim 


*  The  natural  tenderness  of  the  sister  from  whom  some  of  these  reminiscences  have 
been  derived,  has  cast  a  mantle  of  charity  over  this  episode  in  Mr.  Judson's  life.  There 
is  reason  to  believe  that  his  course  was  more  wayward  than  is  heie  indicated. 

An  English  gentleman  who,  many  years  after,  was  his  fellow-prisoner  in  Ava,  writes 
as  follows  :  "I  will  give  the  story  as  I  heard  it  from  the  actor's  own  mouth,  and  as 
nearly  as  I  can  recollect  them,  in  his  words  :  '  In  my  early  days  of  wildness  I  joined 
a  band  of  strolling  players.  We  lived  a  reckless,  vagabond  life,  finding  lodgings 
where  we  could,  and  bilking  the  landlord  where  we  found  opportunity — in  other  words, 
running  up  a  score,  and  then  decamping  without  paying  the  reckoning.  Before  leav- 
ing America,  when  the  enormity  of  this  vicious  course  rested  with  a  depressing  weight 
on  my  mind,  I  made  a  second  tour  over  the  same  ground,  carefully  making  amends 
to  all  whom  I  had  injured.' " 

This,  though  rather  a  coarse  statement  of  the  case,  seems  to  the  author  in  the 
main  truthful.  The  author  does  not  wish  to  gloze  over  this  episode  in  Mr.  Judson's 
life.  Such  a  wrong  course,  succeeded  by  thorough  repentance  and  reparation,  he 
thinks  quite  characteristic  of  Mr.  Judson's  positive  nature. 


12  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Judson,  was  absent,  and  a  very  pious  young  man  occupied 
his  place.  His  conversation  was  characterized  by  a  godly 
sincerity,  a  solemn  but  gentle  earnestness,  which  addressed 
itself  to  the  heart,  and  Judson  went  away  deeply  impressed. 
"The  next  night  he  stopped  at  a  country  inn.  The  land- 
lord mentioned,  as  he  lighted  him  to  his  room,  that  he  had 
been  obliged  to  place  him  next  door  to  a  young  man  who 
was  exceedingly  ill,  probably  in  a  dying  state  ;  but  he  hoped 
that  it  would  occasion  him  no  uneasiness.  Judson  assured 
him  that,  beyond  pity  for  the  poor  sick  man,  he  should  have 
no  feeling  whatever,  and  that  now,  having  heard  of  the  cir- 
cumstance, his  pity  would  not  of  course  be  increased  by  the 
nearness  of  the  object.  But  it  was,  nevertheless,  a  very  rest- 
less night.  Sounds  came  from  the  sick-chamber — sometimes 
the  movements  of  the  watchers,  sometimes  the  groans  of  the 
sufferer  ;  but  it  was  not  these  which  disturbed  him.  He 
thought  of  what  the  landlord  had  said — the  stranger  was' 
probably  in  a  dying  state  ;  and  was  he  prepared  ?  Alone, 
and  in  the  dead  of  night,  he  felt  a  blush  of  shame  steal  over 
him  at  the  question,  for  it  proved  the  shallowness  of  his 
philosophy.     What  would   his   late  companions   say  to  his 

weakness  ?     The  clear-minded,  intellectual,  witty  E ,  what 

would  he  say  to  such  consummate  boyishness  ?  But  still  his 
thoughts  would  revert  to  the  sick  man.  Was  he  a  Christian, 
calm  and  strong  in  the  hope  of  a  glorious  immortality  ?  or 
was  he  shuddering  upon  the  brink  of  a  dark,  unknown  future  ? 
Perhaps  he  was  a  *  freethinker,'  educated  by  Christian 
parents,  and  prayed  over  by  a  Christian  mother.  The  land- 
lord had  described  him  as  a  young  man  ;  and  in  imagination 
he  was  forced  to  place  himself  upon  the  dying  bed,  though  he 
strove  with  all  his  might  against  it.  At  last  morning  came, 
and  the  bright  flood  of  light  which  it  poured  into  his  cham- 
ber dispelled  all  his  '  superstitious  illusions.'  As  soon  as  he 
had  risen,  he  went  in  search  of  the  landlord,  and  inquired  for 
his  fellow-lodger.  *  He  is  dead,'  was  the  reply.  '  Dead  ! ' 
'  Yes,  he  is  gone,  poor  fellow  !  The  doctor  said  he  would 
probably  not  survive  the  night'  '  Do  you  know  who  he 
was  ? '     '  O,  yes  ;  it  was  a  young  man  from  Providence  Col- 


EARLY  YEARS. 


13 


\&%Q^ — a  very  fine  fellow  ;  his  name  was  E .'     Judson  was 

completely  stunned.  After  hours  had  passed,  he  knew  not 
how,  he  attempted  to  pursue  his  journey.  But  one  single 
thought  occupied  his  mind,  and  the  words,  Dead  !  lost  !  lost  ! 
were  continually  ringing  in  his  ears.  He  knew  the  religion 
of  the  Bible  to  be  true  ;  he  felt  its  truth  ;  and  he  was  in 
despair.  In  this  state  of  mind  he  resolved  to  abandon  his 
scheme  of  travelling,  and  at  once  turned  his  horse's  head 
toward  Plymouth." 

He  arrived  at  Plymouth  September  22,  1808,  and  in  Oc- 
tober of  the  same  year  entered  the  Theological  Institution  at 
Andover,  one  year  in  advance.  As  he  was  neither  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion  nor  a  candidate  for  the  ministry,  he  was 
admitted  only  by  special  favor.  On  the  2d  of  December, 
1808,  he  made  a  solemn  dedication  of  himself  to  God  ;  and 
on  the  28th  of  May,  1809,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  joined 
the  Third  Congregational  church  in  Plymouth.  His  con- 
version involved  in  itself  a  consecration  to  the  Christian 
ministry.  How  complete  this  consecration  was,  may  be 
seen  in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  Miss  Ann 

Hasseltine : 

"  Andover,  Dece7nher  30,  iSio.     Sunday  Eve. 

**  I  have  been  through  the  labors  of  another  Sabbath.  A 
preacher  can  saj'-  with  Pope,  '  E'en  Sunday  shines  no  day  of 
rest  to  me.'  Brother  Nott  preaches  this  evening  ;  but,  on 
account  of  a  cold,  I  stay  at  home.  I  am  persuaded  that  the 
chief  reason  why  we  do  not  enjoy  religion  is,  that  we  do  not 
try  to  enjoy  it.  We  are  not  like  a  good  man  who  resolved 
that  he  tvould  grow  in  grace.  We  pervert  the  doctrine  of  our 
dependence  to  indulging  indolence  and  sinful  ease.  I  have 
enjoyed  some  religion  to-da}',  and  I  think  by  means  of  resolv- 
ing in  the  morning  that  I  would  avoid  everything  displeas- 
ing to  God.  I  have  some  hope  that  I  shall  be  enabled  to 
keep  this  in  mind,  in  whatever  I  do — Is  it  pleasing  to  God? 
To  assist  my  memory,  I  have  used  the  expedient  of  inscrib- 
ing it  on  several  articles  which  frequently  meet  my  sight. 
Is  it  not  a  good  plan  ?     But  after  all,  it  will  be  of  no  use, 


14  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

unless  I  resolve,  in  divine  strength,  instantly  to  obey  the 
decision  of  conscience." 

"  December  31.     Monday  Eve. 

"  It  is  now  half  after  nine,  and  I  have  been  sitting  fifteen 
minutes  with  my  pen  in  hand,  thinking  how  to  begin.  I 
have  this  day  attained  more  than  ever  to  what  I  suppose 
Christians  mean  by  the  enjoyment  of  God.  I  have  had 
pleasant  seasons  at  the  throne  of  God.  Those  lines  of  Watts 
have  been  very  sweet  to  me  : 

"  '  Till  Thou  hast  brought  me  to  my  home, 
Where  fears  and  doubts  can  never  come, 
Thy  countenance  let  me  often  see. 
And  often  Thou  shalt  hear  from  me." 

(78/^  of  1st  Book.) 

God  is  waiting  to  be  gracious,  and  is  willing  to  make  us 
happy  in  religion,  if  we  would  not  run  away  from  Him.  We 
refuse  to  open  the  window-shutters,  and  complain  that  it  is 
dark.  We  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  by  little  sins,  and  thus  lose 
our  only  support.  Perhaps  the  secret  of  living  a  holy  life  is 
to  avoid  everything  which  will  displease  God  and  grieve  the 
Spirit,  and  to  be  strictly  attentive  to  the  means  of  grace. 
God  has  promised  that  He  will  regard  the  man  that  is  of  a 
broken  and  contrite  spirit,  and  trembleth  at  His  word.  He 
has  promised  that  they  that  wait  upon  Him  shall  renew  their 
strength.  The  Almighty,  the  immutably  faithful,  has  made 
this  promise.  He  is  not  a  man,  that  He  should  lie,  and  His 
arm  is  not  of  flesh.  Wait,  then,  upon  the  Lord.  Of  how  much 
real  happiness  we  cheat  our  souls  by  preferring  a  trifle  to 
God  !  We  have  a  general  intention  of  living  religion  ;  but 
we  intend  to  begin  to-morrow  or  next  year.  The  present 
moment  we  prefer  giving  to  the  world.  'A  little  more  sleep, 
a  little  more  slumber.'  Well,  a  little  more  sleep,  and  we  shall 
sleep  in  the  grave.  A  few  days,  and  our  work  will  be  done. 
And  when  it  is  once  done,  it  is  done  to  all  eternity.  A  life 
once  spent  is  irrevocable.  It  will  remain  to  be  contemplated 
through  eternity.  If  it  be  marked  with  sins,  the  marks 
will  be  indelible.  If  it  has  been  a  useless  life,  it  can  never 
be  improved.    Such  it  will  stand  forever  and  ever.    The  same 


EARLY  YEARS.  15 

may  be  said  of  each  day.  When  it  is  once  past,  it  is  gone 
forever.  All  the  marks  which  we  put  upon  it,  it  will  exhibit 
forever.  It  will  never  become  less  true  that  such 'a  day  was 
spent  in  such  a  manner.  Each  day  will  not  only  be  a  wit- 
ness of  our  conduct,  but  will  affect  our  everlasting  destiny. 
No  day  will  lose  its  share  of  influence  in  determining  where 
shall  be  our  seat  in  heaven.  How  shall  we  then  wish  to  see 
each  day  marked  with  usefulness  !  It  will  then  be  too  late 
to  mend  its  appearance.  It  is  too  late  to  mend  the  days  thai 
are  past.  The  future  is  in  our  power.  Let  us,  then,  each 
morning,  resolve  to  send  the  day  into  eternity  in  such  a  garb 
as  we  shall  wish  it  to  wear  forever.  And  at  night  let  us 
reflect  that  one  more  day  is  irrevocably  gone,  indelibly 
marked.     Good-night." 


CHAPTER   II. 

CONSECRATION   TO   MISSIONARY  LIFE. 
1809-1812. 

In  September,  1809,  young  Judson,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  began  to  ponder  seriously  the  subject  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions. He  had  just  finished  his  first  year  of  study  at  Ando- 
ver ;  another  year  of  the  theological  course  remained.  At 
this  time  there  fell  into  his  hands  a  sermon  preached  in  the 
parish  church  of  Bristol,  England,  by  Dr.  Claudius  Buchanan, 
who  had  for  many  years  been  a  chaplain  to  the  British  East 
India  Company.  The  sermon  was  entitled,  "  The  Star  in 
the  East,"  and  had  for  its  text  Matt.  ii.  2  :  "  For  we  have 
seen  His  Star  in  the  East,  and  are  come  to  worship  Him." 
The  leading  thought  of  the  sermon  was  the  Evidences  of 
the  Divine  Power  of  the  Christian  Religion  in  the  East. 
Dr.  Buchanan  described  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  in 
India,  and  especially  the  labors  of  the  venerable  German 
missionary,  Schwartz.  This  sermon  fell  like  a  spark  into  the 
tinder  of  Judson's  soul. 

In  a  letter  written  many  years  afterward,  he  says : 

"  Though  I  do  not  now  consider  that  sermon  as  peculiarly 
excellent,  it  produced  a  very  powerful  effect  on  my  mind. 
For  some  days  I  was  unable  to  attend  to  the  studies  of  my 
class,  and  spent  my  time  in  wondering  at  my  past  stupidity, 
depicting  the  most  romantic  scenes  in  missionary  life,  and 
roving  about  the  college  rooms  declaiming  on  the  subject 
of  missions.  My  views  were  very  incorrect,  and  my  feelings 
extravagant ;  but  yet  I  have  always  felt  thankful  to  God  for 
(16) 


COXSECRA  TION  TO  MISSION  A  R  V  LIFE.  1 7 

bringing  me  into  that  state  of  excitement,  which  was  perhaps 
necessary,  in  the  first  instance,  to  enable  me  to  break  the 
strong  attachment  I  felt  to  home  and  country,  and  to  endure 
the  thought  of  abandoning  all  my  wonted  pursuits  and  ani- 
mating prospects.  That  excitement  soon  passed  away  ;  but 
it  left  a  strong  desire  to  prosecute  my  inquiries  and  ascertain 
the  path  of  duty.  It  was  during  a  solitary  walk  in  the  woods 
behind  the  college,  while  meditating  and  praying  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  feeling  half  inclined  to  give  it  up,  that  the  command 
of  Christ,  '  Go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature,'  was  presented  to  my  mind  with  such  clear- 
ness and  power,  that  I  came  to  a  full  decision,  and  though 
great  difficulties  appeared  in  my  way,  resolved  to  obey  the 
command  at  all  events." 

Six  months  elapsed  from  the  time  of  his  reading  Buchan- 
an's "  Star  in  the  East "  before  he  made  the  final  resolve  to 
become  a  missionary  to  the  heathen.  This  was  in  February, 
1 8 10.  He  was,  no  doubt,  stimulated  to  form  this  purpose 
by  close  contact  with  several  other  young  men  of  like  aspi- 
rations. When  a  man  is  rocking  in  the  trough  of  the  sea 
of  indecision,  it  is  very  reassuring  to  have  his  interior  con- 
viction matched  by  an  external  Providence.  His  earliest 
missionary  associate  was  Samuel  Nott,  Jr.,  who  entered  the 
Seminary  early  in  the  year  18 10,  and  was  even  then  weigh- 
ing the  question  whether  he  should  devote  himself  to  the 
work  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen.  About  the 
same  time  there  came  to  Andover  four  young  men  from 
Williams  College — Samuel  J.  Mills,  Jr.,  James  Richards, 
Luther  Rice,  and  Gordon  Hall.  While  in  college  these 
students  had  formed  a  missionary  society,  and  they  were 
accustomed  to  meet  together  at  night  beneath  a  haystack 
near  the  college  grounds.  At  Williamstown,  on  the  spot 
where  now  stands  the  famous  Haystack  Monument,  these 
young  men  consecrated  themselves  to  the  work  of  Foreign 
Missions,  and  poured  out  their  fervent  prayers  for  the  con- 
version of  the  world  ;  and  this  green  nook  among  the  Berk- 
2 


l8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

shire  hills  may  well  be  called  the  birthplace  of  American 
Foreign  Missions. 

As  great  scientific  discoveries  have  seemed  to  spring  up 
almost  simultaneously  in  the  minds  of  independent  and 
widely-separated  thinkers,  sometimes  engendering  a  strife 
as  to  the  original  discoverer,  so  this  grand  thought  of 
evangelizing  the  heathen  seems  to  have  been  in  the  atmos- 
phere, and  to  have  floated  at  almost  the  same  time  into  the 
hearts  of  different  young  men  living  far  apart.  Christian 
society  was  like  a  field  which,  having  been  ploughed  and 
sown,  has  folded  up  in  its  bosom  a  potency  of  growth. 
Judson  and  his  associates  were  like  the  first  green  shoots, 
scattered  far  and  wide,  that  appear  above  the  ground 
and  promise  to  be  followed  by  countless  others.  It  was 
after  long  meditation  and  prayer,  and  in  communion  with 
kindred  glowing  spirits,  that  the  thought  in  Judson's  mind 
of  consecrating  himself  to  the  foreign  missionary  work  be- 
came a  fixed  purpose. 

There  were  many  obstacles  in  the  way.  He  was  not 
going  among  the  heathen  because  he  could  not  find  suitable 
employment  at  home.  He  had  received  a  tutor's  appoint- 
ment in  Brown  University  and  had  declined  it.  The  Rev. 
Dr.  Grififin  had  proposed  him  as  his  colleague  in  "the  largest 
church  in  Boston."  "And  you  will  be  so  near  home,"  his 
mother  said.  "  No  !  "  was  his  reply,  "  I  shall  never  live  in 
Boston.  I  have  much  farther  than  that  to  go."  The  am- 
bitious hopes  of  his,  father  w^ere  overthrown ;  and  his 
mother  and  sister  shed  many  regretful  tears.  He  did  not 
go  abroad  because  he  was  not  wanted  at  home. 

"  In  the  spring 
And  glory  of  his  being  he  went  forth 
From  the  embraces  of  devoted  friends, 

From  ease  and  quiet  happiness He  went  forth 

Strengthen'd  to  suffer — gifted  to  subdue 
The  might  of  human  passion — to  pass  on 
Quietly  to  the  sacrifice  of  all 
The  lofty  hopes  of  boyhood,  and  to  turn 


CONSECRATION  TO  MISSIONARY  LIFE.  19 

The  high  ambition  written  on  that  brow, 
From  its  first  dream  of  power  and  human  fame, 
Unto  a  task  of  seeming  lowliness — 
Yet  God-like  in  his  purpose."* 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  a  dull  and  second-rate 
man  is  good  enough  for  the  heathen.  The  worst-off  need 
the  very  best  we  have.  God  gave  His  best,  even  His  only- 
begotten  Son,  in  order  to  redeem  a  lost  world.  The  most 
darkened  and  degraded  souls  need  the  best  thinking.  When 
our  Blessed  Lord  was  presenting  His  Gospel  to  a  fallen 
Samaritan  woman.  He  seems  to  have  preserved  His  best 
thought  for  her;  and  in  order  to  make  a  bad  woman  good, 
utters  in  her  ears  the  most  august  philosophical  thesis  to  be 
found  in  any  tongue :  "  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  wor- 
ship Him  must  worship  Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  Mis- 
sions have  had  their  grandest  successes  when  England's 
best  scholars,  like  Bishop  Patteson  and  Bishop  Selwyn,  have 
devoted  their  splendid  talents  to  the  conversion  of  the 
fiercest  and  the  lowest  savages  of  Micronesia  and  New  Zea- 
land. It  would  be  a  sad  day  for  American  Christians  if  they 
should  ever  deserve  Nehemiah's  reproach  :  "  Their  nobles  put 
not  their  necks  to  the  work  of  their  Lord."  Christianity 
will  advance  over  the  earth  with  long,  swift  strides  when 
the  churches  are  ready  to  send  their  best  men,  and  the 
best  men  are  ready  to  go. 

Judson  fully  appreciated  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  a 
missionary  life.  He  seems  to  have  counted  the  cost.  After 
one  of  the  battles  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  the  Ger- 
man Emperor,  William,  had  his  attention  drawn  to  one  of 
the  wounded  soldiers  on  the  field.  The  King  held  out  his 
hand  to  the  powder-stained  private,  and  asked  him  what  his 
trade  was.  The  man  said,  "  I  am  a  Doctor  of  Philosophy, 
your  Majesty."  "  Well,  you  must  have  learned  to  bear 
your  wounds  philosophically,"  said  the  King.  "  Yes,"  replied 
the   soldier,  "  that  I  had    already  made  up  my  mind  to." 


*  Whittier's  "  The  Missionary." 


20  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

■Young  Judson,  before  he  had  resolved  to  be  a  missionary, 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  the  sufferings  and  privations  which 
he  well  knew  were  in  store  for  him.  He  thus  wrote  to  Mr. 
Hasseltine,  of  Bradford,  when  asking  for  his  daughter's 
hand  : 

"  I  have  now  to  ask  whether  you  can  consent  to  part  with 
your  daughter  early  next  spring,  to  see  her  no  more  in  this 
world  ?  whether  you  can  consent  to  her  departure  to  a  hea- 
then land,  and  her  subjection  to  the  hardships  and  sufferings 
of  a  missionary  life  ?  whether  you  can  consent  to  her  expos- 
ure to  the  dangers  of  the  ocean  ;  to  the  fatal  influence  of  the 
southern  climate  of  India  ;  to  every  kind  of  want  and  dis- 
tress ;  to  degradation,  insult,  persecution,  and  perhaps  a 
violent  death  ?  Can  you  consent  to  all  this,  for  the  sake  of 
Him  who  left  His  heavenly  home  and  died  for  her  and  for 
you  ;  for  the  sake  of  perishing,  immortal  souls  ;  for  the  sake 
of  Zion  and  the  glory  of  God  ?  Can  you  consent  to  all  this, 
in  hope  of  soon  meeting  your  daughter  in  the  world  of  glory, 
with  a  crown  of  righteousness  brightened  by  the  acclamations 
of  praise  which  shall  redound  to  her  Saviour  from  heathens 
saved,  through  her  means,  from  eternal  woe  and  despair  ? " 

These  same  anticipations  of  missionary  sorrows  pervade 
a  pathetic  letter  written  by  him  to  Miss  Ann  Hasseltine, 
during  the  period  of  their  betrothal : 

"yanriary  I,  1811.    Tuesday  Mom. 

"  It  is  with  the  utmost  sincerity,  and  with  m)^  whole  heart, 
that  I  wish  you,  my  love,  a  happy  new  year.  May  it  be  a 
year  in  which  your  walk  will  be  close  with  God  ;  your  frame 
calm  and  serene  ;  and  the  road  that  leads  you  to  the  Lamb 
marked  with  purer  light.  May  it  be  a  year  in  which  you 
will  have  more  largely  the  spirit  of  Christ,  be  raised  above 
sublunary  things,  and  be  willing  to  be  disposed  of  in  this 
world  just  as  God  shall  please.  As  every  moment  of  the 
year  will  bring  you  nearer  the  end  of  your  pilgrimage,  may 
it  bring  you  nearer  to  God,  and  find  you  more  prepared  to 
hail   the   messenger  of  death   as  a  deliverer  and   a  friend. 


CONSECRATION  TO  MISSIONARY  LIFE.  21 

And  now,  since  I  have  begun  to  wish,  I  will  go  on.  May  this 
be  the  year  in  which  you  will  change  your  name  ;  in  which 
you  will  take  a  final  leave  of  your  relatives  and  native  land  ; 
in  which  you  will  cross  the  wide  ocean,  and  dwell  on  the  other 
side  of  the  world,  among  a  heathen  people.  What  a  great 
change  will  this  year  probably  effect  in  our  lives  !  How  very 
different  will  be  our  situation  and  employment !  If  our  lives 
are  preserved  and  our  attempt  prospered,  we  shall  next  new 
year's  day  be  in  India,  and  perhaps  wish  each  other  a  happy 
new  year  in  the  uncouth  dialect  of  Hindostan  or  Burmah. 
We  shall  no  more  see  our  kind  friends  around  us,  or  enjoy 
the  conveniences  of  civilized  life,  or  go  to  the  house  of  God 
with  those  that  keep  holy  day;  but  swarthy  countenances 
will  everywhere  meet  our  eye,  the  jargon  of  an  unknown 
tongue  will  assail  our  ears,  and  we  shall  witness  the  assem- 
bling of  the  heathen  to  celebrate  the  worship  of  idol  gods. 
We  shall  be  weary  of  the  world,  and  wish  for  wings  like  a 
dove,  that  we  may  fly  away  and  be  at  rest.  We  shall  proba- 
bly experience  seasons  when  we  shall  be  *  exceeding  sorrow- 
ful, even  unto  death.'  We  shall  see  many  dreary,  disconsolate 
hours,  and  feel  a  sinking  of  spirits,  anguish  of  mind,  of  which 
now  we  can  form  little  conception.  O,  we  shall  wish  to  lie 
down  and  die.  And  that  time  may  soon  come.  One  of  us 
may  be  unable  to  sustain  the  heat  of  the  climate  and  the 
change  of  habits  ;  and  the  other  may  say,  with  literal  truth, 
over  the  grave — 

'"By  foreign  hands  thy  dying  eyes  were  closed  ; 
By  foreign  hands  thy  decent  limbs  composed  ; 
By  foreign  hands  ihy  humble  grave  adorned  ; ' 

but  whether  we  shall  be  honored  and  mourned  by  strangers, 
God  only  knows.  At  least,  either  of  us  will  be  certain  of 
one  mourner.  In  view  of  such  scenes  shall  we  not  pray  with 
earnestness,  '  O  for  an  overcoming  faith,'  etc.  ?  " 

But  what  steps  did  he  and  his  young  associates  take  in 
order  to  execute  their  sublime  purpose  ?  There  was  at 
that  time  no  foreign  missionary  society  in  America  to  which 


22  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON/RAM  JUDSON. 

they  could  offer  their  services,  and  which  would  undertake 
their  support  in  thfe  foreign  field. 

There  was,  indeed,  the  Massachusetts  Missionary  Society, 
founded  in  1799,  the  object  of  which  was  to  diffuse  a  mis- 
sionary spirit  among  the  Congregational  churches  in  New 
England,  and  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the  Indians  and  to  the 
newly-settled  parts  of  our  own  land.  But  this  Society  had 
not  yet  launched  upon  the  work  of  foreign  missions  ;  and 
so  Mr.  Judson,  and  the  young  men  who  shared  his  purpose, 
first  proposed  to  each  other  to  enlist  as  missionaries  under 
the  London  Missionary  Society.  Accordingly  Mr.  Judson 
wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  venerable  Dr.  Bogue,  the 
President  of  the  Seminary  in  Gosport,  England,  where  the 
missionaries  of  the  London  Society  received  their  training  : 
"  Divinity  College,  Andover,  Mass.,  Aprils  1810. 

"Rev.  Sir  :  I  have  considered  the  subject  of  missions  nearly 
a  year,  and  have  found  my  mind  gradually  tending  to  a  deep 
conviction  that  it  is  my  duty  personally  to  engage  in  this 
service.  Several  of  my  brethren  of  this  college  may  finally 
unite  with  me  in  my  present  resolution.  On  their  as  well 
as  my  own  behalf,  I  take  the  liberty  of  addressing  you  this 
letter.  My  object  is  to  obtain  information  on  certain  points 
— whether  there  is  at  present  such  a  call  for  missionaries  in 
India,  Tartary,  or  any  part  of  the  Eastern  Continent  as  will 
"nduce  the  directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  to 
engage  new  missionaries  ;  whether  two  or  three  young,  un- 
married men,  having  received  a  liberal  education,  and  resided 
two  years  in  this  Divinity  School,  wishing  to  serve  their 
Saviour  in  a  heathen  land,  and  indeed  susceptible  of  a  *■  pas- 
sion for  missions,^ — whether  such  young  men,  arriving  in  Eng- 
land next  spring,  with  full  recommendations  from  the  first 
Christian  characters  in  this  country,  may  expect  to  be  re- 
ceived on  probation  by  the  directors,  and  placed  at  the  semi- 
nary in  Gosport,  if  that  be  judged  expedient ;  and  whether, 
provided  they  give  satisfaction  as  to  their  fitness  to  under- 
take the  work,  all  their  necessary  expenses  after  arriving  in 
England  shall  be  defrayed  from  the  funds  of  the  Society, 


CONSECRA  TION  TO  MISSIOXARY  LIFE. 


23 


which  funds  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  ultimately  reimbursed  by 
supplies  from  the  American  churches. 

"We  have  consulted  our  professors  on  this  subject,  par- 
ticularly Dr.  Griffin,  Professor  of  Oratory.  He  intends  writ- 
ing to  several  in  England,  and  perhaps  to  Dr.  Bogue.  But 
his  engagements  being  such  as  will  prevent  his  writing  at 
present,  and  wishing  myself  to  receive  a  letter  from  you  im- 
mediately, containing  the  desired  information,  I  have  written 
myself.  I  close  with  an  earnest  request  that  you  will  please 
to  transmit  me  an  answer  as  soon  as  possible,  and  a  prayer 
that  your  answer  may  be  favorable  to  my  most  ardent  wishes. 

"Adoniram  Judson,  Jr. 

"  P.  S. — I  shall  deem  it  a  favor  if  you  do  not  confine  your 
remarks  to  the  points  which  I  have  proposed,  but  are  pleased 
to  give  such  general  inforjnation  and  advice  as  you  may  think 
will  be  useful  to  me  and  my  brethren." 

While  awaiting  a  reply  to  this  letter,  these  devoted 
students  made  their  de^res  known  to  their  teachers  in  the 
Seminary  and  to  se<^eral  influential  ministers  in  the  vicinity. 
The  professors  and  ministers  met  for  consultation  on  the 
matter  at  the  house  of  Prof.  Stuart  in  Andover,  on  Monday, 
June  25,  1810. 

These  wise  and  conservative  men  advised  the  students  to 
submit  their  case  to  the  General  Association,  a  body  repre- 
senting all  the  Congregational  churches  of  the  State  of 
Massachusetts,  and  which  was  to  meet  at  Bradford  the 
next  day. 

Accordingly,  on  June  27,  the  students  laid  before  the 
Association  the  following  letter : 

"The  undersigned,  members  of  the  Divinity  College,  re- 
spectfully request  the  attention  of  their  reverend  fathers, 
convened  in  the  General  Association  at  Bradford,  to  the  fol- 
lowing statement  and  inquiries  : 

"They  beg  leave  to  state  that  their  minds  have  been  long 
impressed  with  the  duty  and  importance  of  personally  at- 
tempting a  mission  to  the  heathen  ;  that  the  impressions  on 


24  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

their  minds  have  induced  a  serious,  and,  as  they  trust,  a 
prayerful  consideration  of  the  subject  in  its  various  atti- 
tudes, particularly  in  relation  to  the  probable  success  and 
the  difficulties  attending  such  an  attempt ;  and  that,  after 
examining  all  the  information  which  they  can  obtain,  they 
consider  themselves  as  devoted  to  this  work  for  life,  whenever  God, 
in  His  providence,  shall  open  the  way. 

"  They  now  offer  the  following  inquiries,  on  which  they 
solicit  the  opinion  and  advice  of  this  Association  :  Whether, 
with  their  present  views  and  feelings,  they  ought  to  renounce 
the  object  of  missions,  as  either  visionary  or  impracticable  ; 
if  not,  whether  they  ought  to  direct  their  attention  to  the 
Eastern  or  the  Western  world  ;  whether  they  may  expect  pat- 
ronage and  support  from  a  missionary  society  in  this  country, 
or  must  commit  themselves  to  the  direction  of  a  European 
society  ;  and  what  preparatory  measures  they  ought  to  take 
previous  to  actual  engagement. 

"The  undersigned,  feeling  their  youth  and  inexperience, 
look  up  to  their  fathers  in  the  Church,  and  respectfully  so- 
licit their  advice,  direction,  and  prayers. 

"Adoniram  Judson,  Jr. 
"  Samuel  Nott,  Jr. 
'   "  Samuel  J.  Mills. 
"Samuel  Newell." 

The  names  of  Luther  Rice  and  James  Richards  were  origi- 
nally appended  to  this  petition,  but  had  been  stricken  out 
"  for  fear  of  alarming  the  Association  with  too  large  a 
number." 

The  General  Association,  when  they  came  to  act  upon 
this  petition,  passed  the  following  resolutions : 

"  Voted,  That  there  be  instituted  by  this  General  Association,  a  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  for  the  purpose  of  devising  ways 
and  means,  and  adopting  and  prosecuting  measures,  for  promoting  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  in  heathen  lands. 

"  Voted,  That  the  said  Board  of  Commissioners  consist  of  nine  mem- 
bers, all  of  them,  in  the  first  instance,  chosen  by  this  Association  ;  and 
afterwards,  annually,  five  of  them  by  this  body,  and  four  of  them  by  the 
General  Association  of  Connecticut.      Provided,  however,  that  if  the 


CONSECRATION  TO  MISSIONARY  LIFE.  25 

General  Association  of  Connecticut  do  not  choose  to  unite  in  this  object, 
the  annual  election  of  all  the  commissioners  shall  be  by  this  General 
Association. 

"It  is  understood  that  the  Board  of  Commissioners,  here  contemplated, 
will  adopt  their  own  form  of  organization,  and  their  own  rules  and  regu- 
lations. 

"  Voted,  That,  fervently  commending  them  to  the  grace  of  God,  we 
advise  the  young  gentlemen,  whose  request  is  before  us,  in  the  way  of 
earnest  prayer  and  diligent  attention  to  suitable  studies  and  means  of 
information,  and  putting  themselves  under  the  patronage  and  direction 
of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  humbly  to  wait 
the  openings  and  guidance  of  Providence  in  respect  to  their  great  and 
excellent  design." 

Thus  was  organized  the  American  Board  of  Commission- 
ers for  Foreign  Missions,  a  society  widely  known  and  justly 
revered  at  the  present  day  as  the  missionary  organ  of  the 
Congregational  churches  of  America,  and  indeed  the  mother 
of  American  foreign  missionary  societies. 

The  nine  men  originally  forming  this  Board  distrusted 
their  ability  to  support  in  the  foreign  field*  those  who  had 
offered  their  services.  They  feared  that  the  missionary 
sentiment  among  the  churches  of  New  England  was  hardly 
strong  enough,  as  yet,  to  undertake  so  great  an  enterprise  ; 
and  so  they  turned  instinctively  to  their  brethren  in  Eng- 
land, represented  in  the  London  Missionary  Society,  for 
aid  and  co-operation.  They  accordingly  sent  Mr.  Judson 
to  England  to  ascertain  whether  such  co-operation  would 
be  agreeable  to  the  London  Society, 

The  English  directors  gave  Mr.  Judson  a  most  courteous 
and  affectionate  greeting,  but  a  joint  conduct  of  the  missions 
did  not  seem  practicable  to  them.  They  were  willing  to 
receive  and  support  Mr.  Judson  and  his  associates  as  their 
own  missionaries,  but  did  not  feel  disposed  to  admit  the 
American  Board  to  a  participation  with  them  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  work.  Such  co-operation  might  occasion  com- 
plications, and  they  wisely  thought  that  American  Chris- 
tians were  able  to  take  care  of  their  own  missionaries. 


26  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Mr.  Judson  embarked  for  England  January  ii  i8ii,  on 
the  English  ship  Packet.  She  was  captured  on  the  ivay  by  a 
French  privateer,  and  so  he  was  subjected  to  imprisonment 
and  compulsory  detention  in  France.  On  the  6th  of  May 
he  arrived  in  London,  and  on  the  i8th  of  June  he  embarked 
at  Gravesend,  in  the  ship  Augustus^  bound  for  New  York, 
where  he  arrived  on  the  17th  of  August.  Some  interesting 
reminiscences  of  this  voyage  to  England  have  been  preserved 
by  the  pen  of  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson: 

"  There  were  on  the  ship  Packet  two  Spanish  merchants  ; 
and  these,  I  believe,  were  the  only  passengers  beside  Mr. 
Judson.  When  they  were  captured  by  L' Invincible  Napoleon, 
these  two  gentlemen,  being  able  to  speak  French,  and  most 
likely  to  furnish  a  bribe,  were  treated  very  civilly.  Mr.  Jud- 
son, however,  was  very  young,  with  nothing  distinctive  in  his 
outward  appearance,  and  was,  moreover,  speechless,  friend- 
less, and  comparatively  moneyless.  He  was,  without  ques- 
tion or  remonstrance,  immediately  placed  in  the  hold,  Avith 
the  common  sailors.  This  was  the  first  hardship  he  had  ever 
known,  and  it  affected  him  accordingly.  He  shrank  from  the 
associations  of  the  place,  and  the  confined  air  seemed  unen- 
durable. Soon  the  weather  roughened,  and  he,  together 
with  several  of  his  more  hardy  companions,  became  exces- 
sively seasick.  The  doctor  visited  him  every  day,  but  he 
could  not  communicate  with  him,  and  the  visit  was  nearly 
useless.  Sick,  sorrowful,  and  discouraged,  his  thoughts  went 
back  to  his  dear  old  Plymouth  home,  then  to  Bradford,  and 
finally  the  Boston  church — 'the  biggest  church  in  Boston'; 
and  he  became  alarmed  at  the  strange  feeling  that  crept  over 
him.  It  was  the  first  moment  of  misgiving  he  had  known. 
As  soon  as  he  became  aware  of  the  feeling,  he  commenced 
praying  against  it,  as  a  temptation  of  the  adversary.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  God  had  permitted  this  capture,  and  all 
his  trouble,  as  a  trial  of  his  faith  ;  and  he  resolved,  in  the 
strength  of  God,  to  bear  it,  as  he  might  be  called  upon  to 
bear  similar  trials  hereafter.  As  soon  as  he  had  come  to  this 
resolution,   he  fumbled   about  in   the  gray   twilight  of   his 


CONSECRATION  TO  MISSIONARY  LIFE. 


27 


prison,  till  he  succeeded  in  finding  his  Hebrew  Bible.  The 
light  was  very  faint,  but  still  he  managed  to  see  for  a  few 
moments  at  a  time,  and  amused  himself  with  translating 
mentally  from  the  Hebrew  to  the  Latin — a  work  which  em- 
ployed his  thoughts,  and  saved  his  eyes.  One  day  the  doctor, 
observing  the  Bible  on  the  pillow,  took  it  up,  stepped  toward 
the  gangway,  and  examined  it ;  then  returned,  and  addressed 
his  patient  in  Latin.  Through  the  medium  of  this  language 
Mr.  Judson  managed  to  explain  who  he  was  ;  and  he  was 
consequently  admitted  to  a  berth  in  the  upper  cabin,  and  a 
seat  with  his  fellow-passengers,  the  Spaniards,  at  the  cap- 
tain's table. 

"  His  second  day  on  deck  was  a  somewhat  exciting  one. 
A  sail  was  reported  from  the  masthead  ;  and  while  the 
stranger  was  yet  a  mere  speck  to  the  naked  eye,  many  glasses 
were  levelled  curiously  at  her,  and  a  general  feeling  of  anx- 
iety seemed  to  prevail  among  the  officers.  Of  course,  Mr. 
Judson  was  all  excitement  ;  for  although  he  was  now  in 
comfortable  circumstances,  he  dreaded  the  effect  of  this  de- 
tention on  his  mission  to  England.  Finally  the  stranger 
loomed  up  against  the  sky,  a  beautiful  brig  under  a  full 
press  of  canvas.  As  they  watched  her,  some  anxiously  and 
some  admiringly,  suddenly  her  fine  proportions  became 
blended  in  a  dark  mass  ;  and  it  was  evident  to  the  most  in- 
experienced landsman  that  she  had  changed  her  course.  The 
two  Spaniards  exchanged  significant  glances.  Mr.  Judson 
felt  very  much  like  shouting  for  joy,  but  he  suppressed  the 
inclination  ;  and  the  next  moment  the  order  came  for  the 
decks  to  be  cleared,  and  he,  with  his  companions,  was  sent 
below.  The  Spaniards  informed  him  that  they  were  pursued 
by  a  vessel  much  larger  than  their  own  ;  that  the  privateer 
had  little  to  hope  in  an  engagement,  but  she  was  the  swifter 
sailer  of  the  two,  and  the  approaching  darkness  was  in  her 
favor.  Mr.  Judson  passed  a  sleepless  night,  listening  each 
moment  for  unusual  sounds  ;  but  the  next  morning,  when  he 
carefully  swept  the  horizon  with  the  captain's  glass,  not  a 
mote  was  visible. 
"The  privateer  touched  at  Le  Passage,  in  Spain,  and  there 


28  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

permitted  the  two  Spaniards  to  go  on  shore.  From  thence 
the  prisoners  were  conveyed  to  Bayonne,  in  France  ;  and 
Mr.  Judson  again,  to  his  surprise  and  indignation,  found 
himself  marched  through  the  streets  in  company  with  the 
crew  of  the  Packet.  He  had  as  yet  acquired  only  a  few  words 
of  French,  and  of  these  he  made  as  much  use  as  possible,  to 
the  infinite  amusement  of  the  passers-by.  Finally  it  occurred 
to  him  that  he  was  much  more  likely  to  meet  some  person, 
either  a  native  or  a  foreigner,  who  understood  English,  than 
to  make  his  broken  French  intelligible.  Accordingly  he  com- 
menced declaiming  in  the  most  violent  manner  possible 
against  oppression  in  general,  and  this  one  act  in  particular. 
The  guards  threatened  him  by  gestures,  but  did  not  proceed 
to  violence  ;  and  of  the  passers-by,  some  regarded  him  a  mo- 
ment carelessly,  others  showed  a  little  interest  or  curiosity, 
while  many  laughed  outright  at  his  seemingly  senseless 
clamors.  Finally  a  stranger  accosted  him  in  English,  advis- 
ing him  to  lower  his  voice.  '  With  the  greatest  pleasure  pos- 
sible,' he  answered,  'if  I  have  at  last  succeeded  in  making 
myself  heard.  I  was  only  clamoring  for  a  listener.'  'You 
might  have  got  one  you  would  have  been  glad  to  dismiss,  if 
you  had  continued  much  longer,'  was  the  reply.  In  a  few 
hurried  words  Judson  explained  his  situation,  and,  in  words 
as  few,  learned  that  the  gentleman  was  an  American  from 
Philadelphia,  and  received  his  promise  of  assistance.  '  But 
3''ou  had  better  go  on  your  way  quietly  now,'  added  his  new 
friend.  *  O,  I  will  be  a  perfect  lamb,  since  I  have  gained  my 
object.' 

"  The  prison  was  a  gloomy-looking,  massive  structure,  and 
the  apartment  into  which  they  were  conveyed  Avas  under- 
ground, dark  and  dismal.  In  the  centre  was  a  sort  of  col- 
umn, on  which  burned  a  solitary  lamp,  though  without  it 
was  still  broad  day.  Around  the  walls  a  quantity  of  straw 
had  been  spread,  on  which  his  companions  soon  made  them- 
selves at  home  ;  but  Mr.  Judson  could  not  divest  himself  of 
the  idea  that  the  straw  was  probably  not  fresh,  and  busied 
his  imagination  with  images  of  those  who  had  last  occupied 
it.     The  weather  had  seemed  almost  oppressively  hot  above- 


CONSECRATION  TO  MISSIONARY  LIFE.  29 

ground  ;  but  now  he  shivered  with  the  chilling  dampness  of 
the  place,  while  the  confined  air  and  mouldy  smell  rendered 
him  sick  and  gidd3^  He  paced  up  and  down  the  cell,  he 
could  not  tell  how  long,  but  it  seemed  many  hours,  wonder- 
ing if  his  new  friend  would  really  come  ;  and  again,  if  he 
did  not,  whether  he  could  keep  upon  his  feet  all  night ;  and 
in  case  of  failure,  which  part  of  the  straw  he  should  select  as 
the  least  loathsome.  And  then  his  thoughts  would  wander 
off  again  to  Plymouth,  and  to  Bradford,  and  to  the  '  biggest 
church  in  Boston,'  but  not  with  the  feeling  that  he  had  be- 
fore. On  the  contrary,  he  wondered  that  he  ever  could  have 
been  discouraged.  He  knew  that  at  most  his  imprisonment 
could  not  last  long.  If  he  only  had  a  chair,  or  the  meanest 
stool,  that  was  all  he  would  ask.  But  he  could  not  hope  to 
walk  or  stand  long. 

"While  leaning  against  the  column  for  a  moment's  rest, 
the  door  of  the  cell  opened,  and  he  instantly  recognized  the 
American  he  had  seen  in  the  street.  He  suppressed  a  cry  of 
joy,  and  seeing  that  the  stranger  did  not  look  at  him,  though 
he  stood  close  by  the  lamp,  tried  himself  to  affect  indiffer- 
ence. The  American  making  some  remark  in  French,  took 
up  the  lamp,  and  then  adding  (or  perhaps  translating)  in 
English,  *  Let  me  see  if  I  know  any  of  these  poor  fellows,' 
passed  around  the  room,  examining  them  carelessly.  '  No  ; 
no  friend  of  mine,'  said  he,  replacing  the  lamp,  and  swinging 
his  great  military  cloak  around  Mr.  Judson,  whose  slight 
figure  was  almost  lost  in  its  ample  folds.  Comprehending 
the  plan,  Mr.  Judson  drew  himself  into  as  small  a  compass 
as  possible,  thinking  that  he  would  make  the  best  of  the 
affair,  though  having  little  confidence  in  the  clumsy  artifice. 
His  protector,  too,  seemed  to  have  his  doubts,  for,  as  he 
passed  out,  he  slid  some  money  into  the  jailer's  hand,  and 
again,  at  the  gate,  made  another  disbursement,  and  as  soon 
as  they  were  outside,  released  his  protege,  with  the  expres- 
sive words,  *  Now  run  ! '  Mr.  Judson  quite  forgot  his  fatigue 
from  walking  in  the  cell,  as  he  fleetly  followed  his  tall  con- 
ductor through  the  streets  to  the  wharf,  where  he  was  placed 
on  board  an  American  merchantman   for  the   nisfht.      The 


30  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  yUDSON". 

next  evening  his  friend  returned,  infoiming  him  that  his 
place  of  refuge  had  been  only  temporarily  chosen,  and  as 
the  papers  necessary  to  his  release  could  not  be  procured  im- 
mediately, he  would  be  much  safer  in  the  attic  of  a  ship- 
builder, who  had  kindly  offered  this  place  of  concealment. 
Accordingly  he  removed  to  the  attic,  from  Krhich,  after  a  few 
days,  he  was  released  on  parole. 

"  Mr.  Judson  passed  about  six  weeks  in  Bayonne,  boarding 
with  an  American  lady  who  had  spent  most  of  her  life  in 
France.  He  told  his  landlady  that  he  was  a  clergyman,  and 
frequently  held  long  religious  conversations  with  her  ;  but 
he  did  not  permit  his  character  to  be  known  generally  in  the 
house,  as  he  thought  it  would  interfere  with  a  plan  he  had  of 
learning  as  much  as  possible  of  the  real  state  of  French  soci- 
ety. He  attended  various  places  of  amusement  with  his  fel- 
low-boarders, pleading  his  ignorance  of  the  language  and 
customs  of  the  country  as  an  excuse  for  acting  the  spectator 
merely  ;  and  in  general  giving  such  evasive  replies  as  enabled 
him  to  act  his  part  without  attracting  undue  attention.  It 
was  not  long,  however,  before  his  companions  became  pretty 
well  aware  that  indifference  formed  no  part  of  his  real  charac- 
ter. His  shrewdness  was  at  variance  with  his  implied  igno- 
rance of  the  world,  and  his  simplicity  sometimes  wore  a  solemn 
impressiveness,  from  the  influence  of  which  it  was  impos- 
sible to  escape.  The  last  place  of  amusement  he  visited  was 
a  masked  ball  ;  and  here  his  strong  feelings  quite  overcame 
his  caution,  and  he  burst  forth  in  his  real  character.  He  de- 
clared to  his  somewhat  startled  companions  that  he  did  not 
believe  the  infernal  regions  could  furnish  more  complete 
specimens  of  depravity  than  he  there  beheld.  He  spoke  in 
English,  and  at  first  addressed  himself  to  the  two  or  three 
standing  near  him,  who  understood  the  language  ;  but  his 
earnestness  of  manner  and  warmth  of  expression  soon  drew 
around  him  a  large  circle,  who  listened  curiously  and  with 
apparent  respect.  He  spoke  scornfully  of  the  proud  profes- 
sions of  the  (so  called)  philosophy  of  the  age,  and  pointed  to 
the  fearful  exhibitions  of  that  moment  as  illustrative  of  its 
effectiveness.      He   rapidly  enumerated    many  of   the   evils 


KEV»  ADO>^RA>i  JVDSON ^ID'^A^W. 


n 


■<^^/'/^j^^ 


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zi^^^mz^y y^y//^^^  (CJ^i^ 


7a7a^n  ifi  ^/^:.'.ri£'L  W /<?//. 


CONSECRA  TION  TO  MISSIONAR  Y  LIFE.  31 

which  infidelity  had  brought  upon  France  and  upon  the 
world,  and  then  showed  the  only  way  of  escape  from  those 
evils — the  despised  but  truly  ennobling  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Finally  he  sketched  the  character  of  man  as  it  might 
have  been  in  its  original  purity  and  nobleness,  and  then  the 
wreck  of  soul  and  body  to  be  ascribed  to  sin,  and  vvound  up 
all  by  a  personal  appeal  to  such  as  had  not  become  too  de- 
based to  think  and  feel.  He  had  warmed  as  he  proceeded 
with  his  subject,  noting  with  pain  and  surprise  the  great 
number  of  those  who  seemed  to  understand  the  English 
language,  and  drawing  from  it  an  inference  by  no  means 
favorable  to  his  travelled  countrymen.  Most  of  the  maskers 
evidently  regarded  the  exhibition  as  a  part  of  the  evening's 
entertainment ;  but  those  who  understood  his  remarks 
seemed  confounded  by  the  boldness,  and  perhaps  unexpect- 
edness, of  the  attack,  and  when  he  had  finished,  stood  aside, 
and  allowed  him  to  pass  from  the  place  without  a  word. 
This  incident,  I  have  been  told,  was  reported  by  some  person 
present  on  the  occasion,  and  published  in  a  Boston  news- 
paper. 

"  Mr.  Judson,  I  do  not  recollect  by  what  means,  was  intro- 
duced to  some  of  the  officers  of  Napoleon's  suite,  and  travelled 
through  the  country  in  one  of  the  emperor's  carriages.  At 
Paris,  he  spent  most  of  his  time  in  the  society  of  these 
officers,  and  persons  whom  they  introduced,  and,  in  general, 
pursued  the  same  course  as  at  Bayonne.  In  view  of  the  op- 
portunity thus  afforded  for  observation,  and  the  store  of 
practical  knowledge  really  gathered,  he  always  regarded  his 
detention  in  France  as  a  very  important,  and,  indeed,  neces- 
sary part  of  his  preparation  for  the  duties  which  afterward 
devolved  upon  him. 

"  In  England  he  was  received  in  a  manner  peculiarly  flat- 
tering. He  was  at  this  time  small  and  exceedingly  delicate 
in  figure,  with  a  round,  rosy  face,  which  gave  him  the  ap- 
pearance of  extreme  youthfulness.  His  hair  and  eyes  were 
of  a  dark  shade  of  brown,  in  his  French  passport  described 
as  'chestnut.'  His  voice,  however,  was  far  from  what  would 
be  expected  of  such  a  person,  and  usually  took  the  listeners 


32  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

by  surprise.  An  instance  of  this  occurred  in  London.  He 
sat  in  the  pulpit  with  a  clergyman  somewhat  distinguished 
for  his  eccentricity,  and  at  the  close  of  the  sermon  was  re- 
quested to  read  a  hymn.  When  he  had  finished,  the  clergy- 
man arose,  and  introduced  his  young  brother  to  the  congre- 
gation as  a  person  who  purposed  devoting  himself  to  the 
conversion  of  the  heathen,  adding,  'And  if  his  faith  is 
proportioned  to  his  voice,  he  will  drive  the  devil  from  all 
India.' " 

Soon  after  Mr.  Judson  returned  to  America,  on  the  i8th  of 
September,  i8ii,  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions  met  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  and  advised  him 
and  his  associates  not  to  place  themselves  at  present  under 
the  direction  of  the  London  Missionary  Society.  It  was 
also  voted  that  "  Messrs.  Adoniram  Judson,  Jr.,  Samuel 
Nott,  Jr.,  Samuel  Newell,  and  Gordon  Hall  be  appointed 
missionaries  to  labor  under  the  direction  of  this  Board  in 
Asia,  either  in  the  Burman  Empire,  or  in  Surat,  or  in  Prince 
of  Wales  Island,  or  elsewhere,  as,  in  the  view  of  the  Pru- 
dential Committee,  Providence  shall  open  the  most  favorable 
door."  Thus  the  way  Avas  opened  for  Mr.  Judson  to  realize 
his  ardent  desire  to  become  a  missionar}^  to  the  heathen. 

But  he  was  not  to  go  alone,  for  he  was  already  betrothed 
to  Miss  Ann  Hasseltine.  They  met  for  the  first  time  on 
the  memorable  occasion  already  described,  when,  in  June, 
i8io,  the  General  Association  held  its  session  at  Bradford, 
and  young  Judson  and  his  fellow-students  modestly  made 
known  their  desires  to  attempt  a  mission  to  the  heathen. 

The  story  is  told  that  during  the  sessions  the  ministers 
gathered  for  a  dinner  beneath  Mr.  Hasseltine's  hospitable 
roof.  His  youngest  daughter,  Ann,  was  waiting  on  the  ta- 
ble. Her  attention  was  attracted  to  the  young  student, 
whose  bold  missionary  projects  were  making  such  a  stir. 
But  what  was  her  surprise  to  observe,  as  she  moved  about 
the  table,  that  he  seemed  completely  absorbed  in  his  plate ! 
Little  did  she  dream  that  she  had  already  woven  her  spell 


CONSECRA  TION  TO  MISSIONAR  Y  LIFE. 


zz 


about  his  young  heart,  and  that  he  was  at  that  \ery  time 
composing  a  graceful  stanza  in  her  praise. 

She  was  born  in  Bradford,  December  22,  1789,  and  was 
about  a  year  younger  than  Mr.  Judson.  Her  parents  were 
John  and  Rebecca  Hasseltine.  She  had  an  ardent,  active, 
even  restless  temperament ;  so  that  her  mother  once  reproved 
her  in  childhood  with  the  ominous  words,  "  I  hope,  my  daugh- 
ter, you  will  one  day  be  satisfied  with  rambling."  She  was 
educated  at  the  Bradford  Academy,  and  was  a  beautiful  girl, 
characterized  by  great  vivacity  of  spirits  and  intensely  fond 
of  society.  In  fact,  she  was  so  reckless  in  her  gayety,  and  so 
far  overtopped  her  young  companions  in  mirth,  that  they 
feared  she  would  have  but  a  brief  life,  and  be  suddenly  cut 
off. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  she  received  her  first  deep  religious 
impression. 

"One  Sabbath  morning,"  she  writes,  'having  prepared 
myself  to  attend  public  worship,  just  as  I  was  leaving  my 
toilet,  I  accidentally  took  up  Hannah  More's  'Strictures  on 
Female  Education,'  and  the  first  words  that  caught  my  eye 
were,  ^  She  that  liveth  in  pleasure  is  dead  while  she  liveth.'  They 
were  written  in  italics,  with  marks  of  admiration  ;  and  they 
struck  me  to  the  heart.  I  stood  for  a  few  moments  amazed 
at  the  incident,  and  half  inclined  to  think  that  some  invisible 
agency  had  directed  my  eye  to  those  words.  At  first,  I 
thought  I  would  live  a  different  life,  and  be  more  serious  and 
sedate  ;  but  at  last  I  thought  that  they  were  not  so  applicable 
to  me  as  I  first  imagined,  and  I  resolved  to  think  no  more  of 
them." 

After  a  struggle  of  several  months,  she  could  truly  say : 

"  I  began  to  discover  a  beauty  in  the  way  of  salvation  by 
Christ.  He  appeared  to  be  just  such  a  Saviour  as  I  needed. 
I  saw  how  God  could  be  just,  in  saving  sinners  through  Him. 
I  committed  my  soul  into  His  hands,  and  besought  Him  to  do 
with  me  what  seemed  good  in  His  sight.  When  I  was  thus 
enabled  to  commit  m3'self  into  the  hands  of  Christ,  my  mind 
3 


34  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

was  relieved  from  that  distressing  weight  which  had  borne 
it  down  for  so  long  a  time.  I  did  not  think  that  I  had  ob- 
tained the  new  heart  which  I  had  been  seeking,  but  felt 
happy  in  contemplating  the  character  of  Christ,  and  par- 
ticularly that  disposition  which  led  Him  to  suffer  so  much, 
for  the  sake  of  doing  the  will  and  promoting  the  glory  of 

His  heavenly   Father A  few  days  after  this  ....  I 

began  to  hope  that  I  had  passed  from  death  unto  life.  When 
I  examined  myself,  I  was  constrained  to  own  that  I  had  feel- 
ings and  dispositions  to  which  I  was  formerly  an  utter  stran- 
ger. I  had  sweet  communion  with  the  blessed  God  from 
day  to  day ;  my  heart  w^as  drawn  out  in  love  to  Christians 
of  whatever  denomination  ;  the  sacred  Scriptures  were  sweet 
to  my  taste  ;  and  such  was  my  thirst  for  religious  knowledge 
that  I  frequently  spent  a  great  part  of  the  night  in  reading 
religious  books." 

She  threw  herself  with  all  her  native  ardor  into  the  joys 
and  labors  of  the  Christian  life.  She  taught  school  for 
several  years  in  Salem,  Haverhill,  and  Newbury.  Her  con- 
stant endeavor  was  to  bring  her  pupils  to  the  Saviour. 

Her  decision  to  become  a  foreign  missionary  must  have 
required  great  heroism,  for,  thus  far,  no  woman  had  ever 
left  America  as  a  missionary  to  the  heathen.  Public  senti- 
ment was  against  her  going.  It  was  thought  to  be  wild  and 
romantic.  One  good  lady  said  to  another,  "  I  hear  that 
Miss  Hasseltine  is  going  to  India!  Why  does  she  go?" 
"Why,  she  thinks  it  her  duty.  Wouldn't  you  go  if  you 
thought  it  your  duty?"  "  But,"  replied  the  lady,  with  em.- 
phasis,  "  I  would  not  think  it  my  duty !  "* 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1812,  Mr.  Judson  was  married  to 
Ann  Hasseltine,  at  Bradford.  Two  days  before,  at  Plym- 
outh, he  had  taken  final  leave  of  his  parents.  His  brother 
Elnathan  accompanied  him  to  Boston.  The  journey  was 
made  on  horseback.    Elnathan  had  not  yet  been  converted. 


*  For  furthei  particulars  concerning  Miss  Hasseltine's  early  life  the  reader  is  referred 
to  her  biography,  by  the  Rev.  J.  D.  Knowles 


CONSECRA  TION  TO  MISSIOXAR  Y  LIFE. 


35 


While  on  the  way  the  two  dismounted,  and  among  the 
trees  by  the  roadside  they  knelt  down  and  Adoniram  offered 
a  fervent  prayer  in  behalf  of  his  younger  brother.  Four 
days  later  they  parted,  never  to  meet  again  on  earth.  The 
wayside  prayer  was  not  unheeded  in  heaven.  Years  after- 
ward Adoniram  was  permitted  to  have  the  assurance  that 
the  brother  over  whom  his  heart  so  fondly  yearned  became 
an  "  inheritor  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

On  the  6th  of  February  he  received  ordination  at  Salem 
from  the  Rev.  Drs.  Spring,  Worcester,  Woods,  Morse,  and 
Griffin ;  on  the  7th  he  bade  good-bye  to  his  younger  sister 
and  companion  of  his  childhood  ;  and  on  the  19th  embarked 
at  Salem  with  Mrs.  Judson  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell,  on 
the  brig  Caravan,  Captain  Heard,  bound  for  Calcutta. 


CHAPTER   III. 

VOYAGE    TO     BURMAH, 
1812-1813. 

After  the  shores  of  America  had  faded  from  their  eyes, 
almost  four  months  elapsed  before  Mr.  Judson  and  his  mis- 
sionary  associates  caught  sight  of  land.  They  made  the 
long  trip  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  at  last  de- 
scried the  towering  mountains  of  Golconda.  Now  that  the 
Suez  Canal  has  been  opened,  and  a  railroad  track  laid  across 
our  continent,  the  way  to  India  is  much  shorter.  The  modern 
missionary  goes  either  through  the  Mediterranean  Sea  or 
by  the  way  of  San  Francisco  and  Yokohama,  the  voyage 
consuming  only  about  two  months. 

While  taking  the  long  voyage  from  America  to  India, 
Mr.  Judson  changed  his  denominational  latitude  and  longi- 
tude as  well.  He  was  a  Congregational  minister;  his  par- 
ents were  Congregationalists ;  and  he  had  been  sent  out  by 
a  Congregational  Board.  All  his  sympathies  and  affections 
were  bound  up  with  the  life  of  that  great  denominational 
body.  On  his  way  to  Burmah,  however,  he  became  a  Bap- 
tist. His  attention  was  at  this  time  especially  drawn  to 
the  distinctive  views  of  the  Baptists  by  the  fact  that  he  was 
now  about  to  found  a  new  Christian  society  among  the 
heathen.  When  the  adult  heathen  accepted  Christ  by  faith 
and  love,  he  should  of  course  be  baptized,  and  thus  formally 
initiated  into  the  Christian  Church.  But  ought  the  chil- 
dren also  to  be  baptized  upon  the  strength  of  the  parent's 
faith  ?     This  was  a  practical  question. 

Again,  Mr.  Judson  expected  to  meet  in  India  the  emi- 
(36) 


FOVAGE   TO  BURMAH.  37 

ncnt  English  Baptist  missionaries,  Carey,  Marshman,  and 
Ward.  In  the  immediate  n&ighborhood  of  these  men,  he 
proposed  to  institute  a  Congregational  form  of  church  life, 
and  he  would,  of  course,  have  to  explain  to  the  natives 
these  denominational  differences.  His  mind  was  cast  in  a 
scholarly  and  argumentative  mould.  Controversy  might 
possibly  arise  between  himself  and  the  Baptist  missionaries. 
He  thought  it  best,  while  he  was  on  the  ocean,  to  arm  him- 
self beforehand  for  the  encounter  with  these  formidable 
champions,  in  order  successfully  to  maintain  the  Pedo- 
baptist  position. 

In  the  enforced  seclusion  of  a  long  sea  voyage,  he  had 
plenty  of  time  for  thought  and  study  on  this  important 
subject.  The  result  of  his  searching  investigation  was  the 
conclusion,  reluctantly  formed,  that  he  was  wrong  and  that 
the  Baptists  were  right.  Of  course  they  held  many  funda- 
mental doctrines  in  common  with  Christians  of  all  other 
evangelical  denominations ;  but  there  were  two  distinctive 
tenets,  that  faith  should  always  precede  baptism,  and  that 
baptism  is  immersion.  He  was  convinced  that  in  these 
views  they  had  the  Bible  on  their  side. 

It  was  only  after  a  great  struggle  that  he  yielded  ;  for  he 
had  to  break  with  all  the  traditions  and  associations  of  his 
ancestry  and  childhood.  He  'pictured  to  himself  the  grief 
and  disappointment  of  his  Christian  friends  in  America, 
especially  of  his  venerable  parents.  He  saw  that  he  would 
be  separated  from  his  fellow-students,  the  cherished  compan- 
ions with  whom  he  had  originated  this  great  scheme  of 
American  Foreign  Missions.  In  their  discussions,  his  wife 
always  took  the  Pedobaptist  side.  He  knew  that  he  and 
she  might  find  themselves  without  bread  in  a  strange 
heathen  land.  For  who  could  expect  the  American  Board 
to  sustain  a  Baptist  missionary,  even  if  he  could,  on  his 
part,  obey  their  instructions  ?  He  could  have  little  hope 
that  the  Baptists  of  America,  feeble,  scattered,  and  de- 
spised, would  be  equal  to  the  great  undertaking  of  support- 


38  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

ing  an  expensive  mission  in  distant  India.  Ah,  what  long, 
anxious  conversations  must  lie  and  his  wife  have  had  to- 
gether in  their  little  cabin  on  the  brig  Caravan  ! 

The  question  may  have  arisen  in  his  mind,  Are  these 
doctrines  so  important  after  all  ?  Can  I  not  cherish  them 
in  secret,  and  still  remain  identified  with  the  religious  body 
that  I  so  much  love  and  honor  ?  No  ;  because  if  individual 
faith  is  the  prerequisite  of  baptism,  what  scriptural  author- 
ity would  he  have  for  baptizing  the  unconscious  infant  ? 
If  baptism  is  a  symbol,  then  of  course  the  form  is  all- 
important.  If  faith  must  precede  baptism,  and  if  immer- 
sion is  essential  to  baptism,  then  he  had  never  been  bap- 
tized at  all.  He  knew  that  baptism  had  been  expressly 
commanded  by  our  blessed  Lord,  and  that  alone  was  suffi- 
cient to  necessitate  obedience.  Prompt  and  straightforward 
obedience  to  Christ  was  the  keynote  of  his  life.  His  was 
too  positive  a  character  to  try  to  effect  a  compromise  be- 
tween conviction  and  action.  He  had  one  of  those  great 
natures  that  can  not  afford  to  move  along  with  the  crowd. 
Traces  of  this  intense  inward  conflict  may  be  seen  in  the 
following  extracts  from  Mrs.  Judson's  letters  : 

To  a  Friend. 

"  September  7,  1812. 

"  Can  you,  my  dear  Nancy,  still  love  me,  still  desire  to  hear 
from  me,  when  I  tell  you  I  have  become  a  Baptist  ?  If  I 
judge  from  my  own  feelings,  I  answer  you  will,  and  that  my 
differing  from  you  in  those  things  which  do  not  affect  our 
salvation  will  not  diminish  your  affection  for  me,  or  make 
you  unconcerned  for  my  welfare.  You  may,  perhaps,  think 
this  change  very  sudden,  as  I  have  said  nothing  of  it  before  ; 
but,  my  dear  girl,  this  alteration  hath  not  been  the  work  of 
an  hour,  a  day,  or  a  month.  The  subject  has  been  maturely, 
candidly,  and,  I  hope,  prayerfully  examined  for  months. 

"An  examination  of  the  subject  of  baptism  commenced  on 
board  the  Caravan.  As  Mr.  Judson  was  continuing  the  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament,  which  he  began  in  America,  he 


VOYAGE  TO  BUR  AT  AH.  39 

had  many  doubts  respecting  the  meaning  of  the  word  baptize. 
This,  with  the  idea  of  meeting  the  Baptists  at  Serampore, 
when  he  would  wish  to  defend  his  own  sentiments,  induced 
a  more  thorough  examination  of  the  foundation  of  the  Pedo- 
baptist  system.  The  more  he  examined,  the  more  his  doubts 
increased  ;  and,  unwilling  as  he  was  to  admit  it,  he  was  afi-aia 
the  Baptists  were  right  and  he  wrong.  After  we  arrived  at 
Calcutta,  his  attention  was  turned  from  this  subject  to  the 
concerns  of  the  mission,  and  the  difficulties  with  Govern- 
ment. But  as  his  mind  was  still  uneasy,  he  again  renewed 
the  subject.  I  felt  afraid  he  would  become  a  Baptist,  and 
frequently  urged  the  unhappy  consequences  if  he  should. 
But  he  said  his  duty  compelled  him  to  satisfy  his  own  mind, 
and  embrace  those  sentiments  which  appeared  most  concord- 
ant with  Scripture.  I  always  took  the  Pedobaptist  side  in 
reasoning  with  him,  even  after  I  was  as  doubtful  of  the  truth 
of  their  system  as  he.  We  left  Serampore  to  reside  in  Cal- 
cutta a  week  or  two,  before  the  arrival  of  our  brethren  ;  and 
as  we  had  nothing  in  particular  to  occupy  our  attention,  we 
confined  it  exclusively  to  this  subject.  We  procured  the  best 
authors  on  both  sides,  compared  them  with  the  Scriptures, 
examined  and  re-examined  the  sentiments  of  Baptists  and 
Pedobaptists,  and  were  finally  compelled,  from  a  conviction 
of  truth,  to  embrace  those  of  the  former.  Thus,  my  dear 
Nancy,  we  are  confirmed  Baptists,  not  because  we  wished  to 
be,  but  because  truth  compelled  us  to  be.  We  have  endeav- 
ored to  count  the  cost,  ^nd  be  prepared  for  the  many  severe 
trials  resulting  from  this  change  of  sentiment.  We  antici- 
pate the  loss  of  reputation,  and  of  the  affection  and  esteem 
of  many  of  our  American  friends.  But  the  most  trying  cir- 
cumstance attending  this  change,  and  that  which  has  caused 
most  pain,  is  the  separation  which  must  take  place  between 
us  and  our  dear  missionary  associates.  Although  we  are 
attached  to  each  other,  and  should  doubtless  live  very  hap- 
pily together,  yet  the  brethren  do  not  think  it  best  we  should 
unite  in  one  mission.  These  things,  my  dear  Nancy,  have 
caused  us  to  weep  and  pour  out  our  hearts  in  prayer  to  Him 
whose  directions  we  so  much  wish  and  need.     We  feel  that 


40  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

we  are  alone  in  the  world,  with  no  real  friend  but  each  other, 
no  one  on  whom  we  can  depend  but  God." 

Mrs.  Judson  to  her  Parents. 
"  Isle  of  France,  Port  Louis,  February  14,  1813. 
"  I  will  now,  my  dear  parents  and  sisters,  give  you  some 
account  of  our  change  of  sentiment,  relative  to  the  subject  of 
baptism.  Mr.  Judson's  doubts  commenced  on  our  passage 
from  America.  While  translating  the  New  Testament,  in 
which  he  was  engaged,  he  used  frequently  to  say  that  the 
Baptists  were  right  in  their  mode  of  administering  the  ordi- 
nance. Knowing  he  should  meet  the  Baptists  at  Serampore, 
he  felt  it  important  to  attend  to  it  more  closely,  to  be  able  to 
defend  his  sentiments.  After  our  arrival  at  Serampore,  his 
mind  for  two  or  three  weeks  was  so  much  taken  up  with 
missionary  inquiries  and  our  difficulties  with  Government, 
as  to  prevent  his  attending  to  the  subject  of  baptism.  But 
as  we  were  waiting  the  arrival  of  our  brethren,  and  having 
nothing  in  particular  to  attend  to,  he  again  took  up  the  sub- 
ject. I  tried  to  have  him  give  it  up,  and  rest  satisfied  in  his 
old  sentiments,  and  frequently  told  him,  if  he  became  a  Bap- 
tist, I  would  not.  He,  however,  said  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  ex- 
amine closely  a  subject  on  which  he  had  so  many  doubts. 
After  we  removed  to  Calcutta,  he  found  in  the  library  in  our 
chamber  many  books  on  both  sides,  which  he  determined  to 
read  candidly  and  prayerfully,  and  to  hold  fast,  or  embrace 
the  truth,  however  mortifying,  however  great  the  sacrifice. 
I  now  commenced  reading  on  the  subject,  with  all  my 
prejudices  on  the  Pedobaptist  side.  We  had  with  us  Dr. 
Worcester's,  Dr.  Austin's,  Peter  Edwards's,  and  other  Pedo- 
baptist writings.  But  after  closely  examining  the  subject 
for  several  weeks,  we  were  constrained  to  acknowledge  that 
the  truth  appeared  to  lie  on  the  Baptists'  side.  It  was  ex- 
tremely trying  to  reflect  on  the  consequences  of  our  becom- 
ing Baptists.  We  knew  it  would  wound  and  grieve  our  dear 
Christian  friends  in  America — that  we  should  lose  their  ap- 
probation and  esteem.  We  thought  it  probable  the  commis- 
sioners would  refuse  to  support  us  ;  and,  what  was  more  dis- 


VOVAGi:   TO  BURMAH.  41 

tressing  than  anything,  we  knew  we  must  be  separated  from 
our  missionary  associates,  and  go  alone  to  some  heathen 
land.  These  things  were  very  trying  to  us,  and  caused  our 
hearts  to  bleed  for  anguish.  We  felt  we  had  no  home  in 
this  world,  and  no  friend  but  each  other.  Our  friends  at 
Serampore  were  extremely  surprised  when  we  wrote  them  a 
letter  requesting  baptism,  as  they  had  known  nothing  of  our 
having  had  any  doubts  on  the  subject.  We  were  baptized 
on  the  6th  of  September,  in  the  Baptist  chapel  in  Calcutta. 
Mr.  J.  preached  a  sermon  at  Calcutta,  on  this  subject,  soon 
after  we  were  baptized,  which,  in  compliance  with  the  re- 
quest of  a  number  who  heard  it,  he  has  been  preparing  for 
the  press.  Brother  Rice  was  baptized  several  weeks  after  we 
were.  It  was  a  very  great  relief  to  our  minds  to  have  him 
join  us,  as  we  expected  to  be  entirely  alone  in  a  mission." 

The  four  missionaries  arrived  in  Calcutta  on  June  17th, 
and  were  warmly  welcomed  by  Dr.  Carey. 

They  were  invited  to  visit  the  settlement  of  English  Bap- 
tists at  Serampore,  a  town  about  twelve  miles  from  Calcutta, 
up  the  Hugh  River.  Here  they  awaited  the  arrival  of  the 
other  group  of  American  missionaries,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nott, 
and  Messrs.  Hall  and  Rice,  who  had  sailed  from  Philadel- 
phia in  the  ship  Harmony,  and  who  did  not  arrive  until 
August  8th.  In  a  note  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Baldwin,  an  influen- 
tial Baptist  minister,  of  Boston,  Mr.  Judson  discloses  his 
change  of  denominational  views  : 

"  Calcutta,  August  31,  1812. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  I  write  you  a  line  to  express  my. 
grateful  acknowledgments  to  you  for  the  advantage  I  have 
derived  from  your  publications  on  baptism  ;  particularly 
from  your  '  Series  of  Letters';  also  to  introduce  the  follow- 
ing copy  of  a  letter  which  I  forwarded  last  week  to  the  Bap- 
tist missionaries  at  Serampore,  and  which  you  are  at  liberty 
to  use  as  you  think  best. 

"  I  am,  sir,  with  much  affection  and  respect, 
"  Your  obliged  friend  and  servant, 

"Adoniram  Judson,  Jr." 


42  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  Calcutta,  August  27,  1812. 
"To  THE  Rev.  Messrs.  Carey,  Marshman,' and  Ward. 

"  As  you  have  been  ignorant  of  the  late  exercises  of  my 
mind  on  the  subject  of  baptism,  the  communication  which  I 
am  about  to  make  may  occasion  you  some  surprise. 

"It  is  now  about  four  months  since  I  took  the  subject  into 
serious  and  prayerful  consideration.  My  inquiries  com- 
menced during  my  passage  from  America,  arid  after  much 
laborious  research  and  painful  trial,  which  I  shall  not  now 
detail,  have  issued  in  entire  conviction,  that  the  immersion  of  a 
professing  believer  is  the  only  Christian  baptisjn. 

"In  these  exercises  I  have  not  been  alone.  Mrs.  Judson 
has  been  engaged  in  a  similar  examination,  and  has  come  to 
the  same  conclusion.  Feeling,  therefore,  that  we  are  in  an 
unbaptized  state,  we  wish  to  profess  our  faith  in  Christ  by 
being  baptized  in  obedience  to  His  sacred  commands. 

"Adoniram  Judson,  Jr." 

He  also  sent  a  letter  to  the  American  Board,  in  which  he 
breaks  to  them  the  startling  news  that  he  is  to  cease  to  be 
their  missionary : 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  My  change  of  sentiments  on  the  sub- 
ject of  baptism  is  considered  by  my  missionary  brethren  as 
incompatible  with  my  continuing  their  fellow-laborer  in  the 
mission  which  they  contemplate  on  the  Island  of  Madagas- 
car ;  and  it  will,  I  presume,  be  considered  by  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  as  equally  incompatible  with  my  continuing 
their  missionary.  The  Board  will,  undoubtedly,  feel  as  un- 
willing to  support  a  Baptist  missionary  as  I  feel  to  comply 
with  their  instructions,  which  particularly  direct  us  to  bap- 
tize ^credible  believers  with  their  households' 

"  The  dissolution  of  my  connection  with  the  Board  of  Com- 
missioners, and  a  separation  from  my  dear  missionary  breth- 
ren, I  consider  most  distressing  consequences  of  my  late 
change  of  sentiments,  and,  indeed,  the  most  distressing  events 
which  have  ever  befallen  me.  I  have  now  the  prospect  before 
me  of  going  alone  to  some  distant  island,  unconnected  with 
any  society  at  present  existing,  from  which   I  might  be  fur- 


VOYAGE  TO  BURMAH. 


43 


nished  with  assistant  laborers  orpecuniary  support.  Whether 
the  Baptist  churches  in  America  will  compassionate  my  situa- 
tion, I  know  not.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  while  my  friends 
condemn  what  they  deem  a  departure  from  the  truth,  they 
will  at  least  pity  me  and  pray  for  me. 

"With  the  same  sentiments  of  affection  and  respect  as  ever, 
"I  am,  sir,  your  friend  and  servant, 

"Adoniram  JuDSON,  Jr. 

'  Rev.  Dr.  Worcester,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions." 

At  the  same  time  he  wrote  a  second  letter  to  Dr.  Bald- 
win, in  which  he  announced  his  change  of  views  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Baptism,  and  added :  "  Should  there  be  formed  a 
Baptist  Society  for  the  support  of  a  mission  in  these  parts, 
I  shall  be  ready  to  consider  myself  their  missionary  I  " 

A  letter  written  at  the  same  time  to  Rev.  Dr.  Bolles,  of 
Salem,  Mass.,  points  in  the  same  direction : 

"Calcutta,  September  i,  1812. 

"Rev.  Sir  :  I  recollect  that,  during  a  short  interview  I  had 
with  you  in  Salem,  I  suggested  the  formation  of  a  society 
among  the  Baptists  in  America  for  the  support  of  foreign 
missions,  in  imitation  of  the  exertions  of  your  English  breth- 
ren. Little  did  I  then  expect  to  be  personally  concerned  in 
such  an  attempt. 

"Within  a  few  months,  I  have  experienced  an  entire  change 
of  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  baptism.  My  doubts  con- 
cerning the  correctness  of  my  former  system  of  belief  com- 
menced during  my  passage  from  America  to  this  country ; 
and  after  many  painful  trials,  which  none  can  know  but  those 
who  are  taught  to  relinquish  a  system  in  which  they  had 
been  educated,  I  settled  down  in  the  full  persuasion  that  the 
immersion  of  a  professing  believer  in  Christ  is  the  only 
Christian  baptism. 

"Mrs.  Judson  is  united  with  me  in  this  persuasion.  We 
have  signified  our  views  and  wishes  to  the  Baptist  mission- 
aries at  Serampore,  and  expect  to  be  baptized  in  this  city 
next  Lord's  day. 


44  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"A  separation  from  my  missionary  brethren,  and  a  dis- 
solution of  my  connection  witli  the  Board  of  Commissioners, 
seem  to  be  necessary  consequences.  The  missionaries  at 
Serampore  are  exerted  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability  in  man- 
aging and  supporting  their  extensive  and  complicated  mis- 
sion. 

"Under  these  circumstances  I  look  to  you.  Alone,  in  this 
foreign  heathen  land,  I  make  my  appeal  to  those  whom,  with 
their  permission,  I  will  call  my  Baptist  brethren  in  the  United 
States. 

"With  the  advice  of  the  brethren  at  Serampore,  I  am  con- 
templating a  mission  on  one  of  the  eastern  islands.  They 
have  lately  sent  their  brother  Chater  to  Ceylon,  and  their 
brother  Robinson  to  Java.  At  present,  Amboyna  seems  to 
present  the  most  favorable  opening.  Fifty  thousand  souls 
are  there  perishing  without  the  means  of  life ;  and  the  sit- 
uation of  the  island  is  such  that  a  mission  there  established 
might,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  be  extended  to  the  neigh- 
boring islands  in  those  seas. 

"  But  should  I  go  thither,  it  is  a  most  painful  reflection 
that  I  must  go  alone,  and  also  uncertain  of  the  means  of  sup- 
port. But  I  will  trust  in  God.  He  has  frequently  enabled 
me  to  praise  His  divine  goodness,  and  will  never  forsake 
those  who  put  their  trust  in  Him.  I  am,  dear  sir, 
"Yours,  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

"Adoniram  Judson,  Jr." 

On  September  6th,  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Judson  were  baptized  in 
Calcutta  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ward,  and,  on  the  first  of  Novem- 
ber, Mr.  Rice,  one  of  his  missionary  associates,  who,  though 
sailing  on  a  different  vessel,  had  experienced  a  similar  change 
of  sentiment,  was  also  baptized.  "  Mr.  Rice  was  thought," 
Dr.  Carey  says,  "to  be  the  most  obstinate  friend  of  Pedo- 
baptism  of  any  of  the  missionaries." 

But  becoming  a  Baptist  was  only  the  beginning  of  troubles 
for  these  missionaries.  India  was  ruled  by  the  East  India 
Company,  which  was  opposed  to  the  introduction  of  mis- 
sionaries, especially  of  Americans — for  England  and  Amer- 


VOYAGE  TO  BURMAH. 


45 


ica  were  not  at  that  time  on  friendly  terms.  Besides,  the 
English  feared  that  the  natives  of  India,  finding  themselves 
beset  by  the  missionaries  of  a  foreign  religion,  and  their  own 
sacred  institutions  undermined,  would  rise  against  the  whole 
English  race,  and  a  war  ensue  which  would  be  rendered 
more  intense  by  the  spirit  of  religious  fanaticism.  The 
Oriental  meekly  submits  to  oppression,  except  when  religious 
questions  are  involved ;  it  was  the  greased  cartridge  which 
brought  on  the  Sepoy  rebellion.  The  English  authorities 
feared,  as  was  once  stated  in  the  House  of  Lords,  "  that 
every  missionary  would  have  to  be  backed  by  a  gun-boat." 
There  might  arise  endless  complications,  and  they  deter- 
mined to  nip  the  danger  in  the  bud. 

Mr.  an,d  Mrs.  Judson  and  Mr.  Rice  were  peremptorily 
ordered  to  repair  from  Serampore  to  Calcutta.  When  they 
appeared  at  the  Government  House  they  were  told  that 
they  must  return  at  once  to  America.  They  asked  leave  to 
settle  in  some  other  part  of  India,  but  this  was  refused. 
They  then  asked  if  they  could  go  to  the  Isle  of  France 
(Mauritius).  This  request  was  granted ;  but  the  only  ship 
then  setting  sail  for  that  port  could  convey  but  two 
passengers,  and,  by  common  consent,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell 
embarked.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  and  Mr.  Rice  remained 
behind  for  another  vessel.  After  two  months,  they  received 
an  order  to  go  on  board  one  of  the  Company's  vessels, 
bound  for  England,  and  their  names  were  even  printed  in 
the  official  list  of  passengers.  But  a  vessel,  named  the 
Creole,  was  just  about  to  sail  for  the  Isle  of  France.  They 
appHed  to  the  Government  for  a  passport.  This  was  refused. 
Then  they  asked  the  captain  if  he  would  take  them  with- 
out a  passport.  He  said,  good-naturedly,  "  There  was  his 
ship ;  they  could  go  on  board  if  they  pleased."  They  im- 
mediately embarked  under  cover  of  the  night.  But  while 
sailing  down  the  Hugh  River  from  Calcutta  to  the  sea, 
they  were  overtaken  by  a  Government  dispatch.  The  pilot 
was  forbidden  to  go  farther,  as  there  were  persons  on  board 


46  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

who  had  been  ordered  to  England.  They  were  put  ashore 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  took  shelter  at  a  little  tavern, 
while  the  vessel  continued  her  course  down  the  river  with- 
out them. 

After  three  or  four  days,  however,  a  letter  came  from 
Calcutta,  containing  the  much-desired  passport  to  sail  on 
the  Creole.  Who  procured  the  passport,  has  always  re- 
mained a  mystery.  But  now  they  had  every  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  the  vessel  had  got  out  to  sea.  She  might,  how- 
ever, be  anchored  at  Saugur,  seventy  miles  below.  With 
all  haste  they  put  their  baggage  in  a  boat,  and  sped  down 
the  river.  They  had  to  row  against  the  tide,  but  arrived  at 
Saugur  before  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  and  had  the 
happiness  of  finding  the  vessel  at  anchor.  "  I  never  enjoyed," 
says  Mrs.  Judson,  "a  sweeter  moment  in  my  life,  than  that 
when  I  was  sure  we  were  in  sight  of  the  Creole  !  "  After  a 
voyage  of  six  weeks  they  arrived  in  Port  Louis,  on  the  Isle 
of  France,  January  17,  181 3. 

The  Isle  of  France,  or  Mauritius,*  lies  in  the  Indian  Ocean, 
480  miles  east  of  Madagascar.  It  is  about  36  miles  long 
and  32  wide.  It  had,  only  a  few  years  before,  been  wrested 
from  the  French  by  the  English.  During  the  wars  between 
the  French  and  English  it  had  furnished  harborage  for  the 
French  privateers,  which,  sallying  forth  from  its  ports,  at- 
tacked the  richly-freighted  English  merchantmen  on  their 
way  from  India. 

The  Isle  of  France,  the  scene  of  St.  Pierre's  pathetic  tale 
of  "  Paul  and  Virginia,"  was  to  our  missionaries  also,  who 
took  refuge  here,  a  place  of  sorrow.  They  learned  of  a 
death  which  rivals  in  pathos  the  fate  of  Virginia.  Mrs. 
Harriet  Newell,  the  first  American  martyr  to  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, had  only  just  survived  the  tempestuous  voyage  from 
Calcutta,  and  had  been  laid  in  the  "heathy  ground"  of 
Mauritius :  one  who  "  for  the  love  of  Christ  and  immortal 
souls,  left  the  bosom  of  her  friends,  and  found  an  early 
grave  in  a  land  of  strangers."     She  never  repented  leaving 


*  See  Map  I. 


VO  YA  GE   TO  B  URMA  H.  47 

her  native  country.  When  informed  by  her  physician  of 
her  approaching  death,  she  Hfted  up  her  hands  in  triumph, 
and  exclaimed :  "  Oh,  glorious  intelligence  !  "* 

What  a  sense  of  desolation  must  have  crept  over  the 
little  band  of  missionaries,  now  that  death  had  so  early 
broken  into  their  ranks  !  On  February  24th  Mr.  Newell 
embarked  for  Ceylon,  and  on  the  15th  of  March  Mr.  Rice 
sailed  for  America,  in  order  to  preach  a  missionary  crusade 
among  the  Baptist  churches  there  ;  and  thus  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Judson  were  left  alone.  They  were  obliged  to  remain  about 
four  months  on  the  Isle  of  France  ;  and  while  much  of  their 
time  was  spent  in  self-sacrificing  labors  among  the  English 
soldiers  that  formed  the  garrison  of  the  island,  the  mission- 
aries still  longed  to  reach  their  final  destination.  Mrs. 
Judson  writes  :  "  Oh,  when  will  my  wanderings  terminate? 
When  shall  I  find  some  little  spot  that  I  can  call  my  own?" 
Her  mother's  ominous  words,  uttered  long  ago,  were  coming 
true.  She  was,  indeed,  having  her  fill  of  "  rambling."  They 
had  left  America  nearly  fifteen  months  before,  and  yet  after 
all  their  journeyings  they  seemed  no  nearer  a  field  of  labor 
than  when  they  first  set  out.  Their  destination  was  still 
a  mirage — an  ever-dissolving  view. 

They  decided  to  make  another  descent  upon  the  coast  of 
India.  On  May  7,  1813,  they  embarked  on  the  ship  Countess 
of  Harcotirt  for  Madras,  intending  to  establish  a  mission  on 
Pulo  Penang,  or  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  lying  in  the  Straits 
of  Malacca.  It  was  a  little  island,  of  commodious  harbors 
and  salubrious  climate,  which  had  recently  been  purchased 
by  the  English,  and  the  small  native  population  of  Malays 
was  being  rapidly  increased  by  emigration  from  Hindostan, 
Burmah,  Siam,  and  China. 

On  June  4th  the  Judsons  arrived  in  Madras,  where  they 
were  kindly  received  by  the  English  missionaries,  Mr.  and 


*  For  further  particiilars  see  "Memoir  of  Mrs.  Harriet  Newell,"  by  Dr.  Leonard 

Woods. 


48  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Mrs.  Loveless.  But  they  knew  that  they  could  not  remain 
long,  for  they  were  again  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  East 
India  Company.  Their  arrival  was  at  once  reported  to  the 
Governor-General,  and  they  feared  they  would  be  imme- 
diately transported  to  England.  There  was  no  vessel  in  the 
harbor  bound  for  Pulo  Penang,  and  the  only  vessel  about  to 
sail  in  that  direction  was  bound  for  Rangoon,  Burmah. 
They  dreaded  to  pass  from  the  protection  of  the  British 
flag  into  the  power  of  the  Burman  despot,  whose  tender 
mercies  were  cruel.  But  their  only  alternative  was  between 
Rangoon  and  their  own  dear  native  land,  and  they  chose 
the  former. 

On  June  22d  they  went  on  board  the  "  crazy  old  vessel  " 
Georgiamta.  After  a  stormy  voyage  they  reached  Rangoon 
July  13th,  and  took  possession  of  the  English  Baptist  mis- 
sion-house, occupied  by  a  son  of  Dr.  Carey.  This  young 
man  was  temporarily  absent,  and  soon  afterward  resigned 
the  mission  in  their  favor,  and  entered  the  service  of  the 
Burmese  Government. 

The  horrors  of  the  voyage,  and  the  dreariness  of  their 
arrival  in  this  strange,  lawless  land,  and  of  their  first  settle- 
ment in  the  deserted  mission-house  at  Rangoon,  made  this 
the  most  painful  experience  through  which  they  had  ever 
passed.  Their  only  refuge  was  in  Him  who  has  said : 
"  Although  I  have  cast  them  far  off  among  the  heathen, 
and  although  I  have  scattered  them  among  the  countries, 
yet  will  I  be  to  them  as  a  little  sanctuary  in  the  countries 
where  they  shall  come."  They  were  sustained  by  the  same 
faith  which,  three  years  before,  found  beautiful  expression 
in  the  words  that  Judson  wrote  to  his  parents: 

"  O  the  pleasure  which  a  lively  Christian  must  enjoy  in 
communion  with  God  !  It  is  all  one  whether  he  is  in  a  city 
or  in  a  desert,  among  relations  or  among  savage  foes,  in  the 
heat  of  the  Indies  or  in  the  ice  of  Greenland  ;  his  infinite 
Fnend  is  always  at  hand.  He  need  not  fear  want,  or  sick- 
ness, or  pain,  for  his  best  Friend  does  all  things  well.     He 


VOYAGE  TO  BURMAH. 


49 


need  not  fear  death,  though  he  come  in  the  most  shocking 
form,  for  death  is  only  a  withdrawing  of  the  veil  which  con- 
ceals his  dearest  Friend." 

It  is  related  that  the  old  English  missionary,  St.  Cuth- 
bert,  was  driven  by  a  snow-storm  upon  the  coast  of  Fife. 
His  companions  repined.  "  The  snow  closes  the  road 
along  the  shore  ;  the  storm  bars  our  way  over  the  sea." 
"  But,"  Cuthbert  said,  "  there  is  still  the  way  of  heaven 
that  lies  open." 

But  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  can  best  describe  their  first 
taste  of  life  in  Burmah. 

Extract  /io7n  a  letter  by  Mrs.  yudso7i  to  her  parents  and  sisters. 

"Rangoon,  July  t,o,  1813. 

"  We  stayed  at  Madras  only  a  fortnight,  when  we  embarked 
on  board  a  Portuguese  vessel  for  this  place.  I  had  procured 
a  European  woman-servant  to  go  with  us,  as  it  was  not 
thought  prudent  to  go  without  one.  She  went  on  board 
two  days  before  us,  and  when  we  went  on  board  she  ap- 
peared in  perfect  health.  We  had  but  just  entered  the  ship 
when  she  fell  on  the  floor,  apparently  in  a  fit.  We  made 
every  possible  effort  to  recover  her,  but  she  gasped  a  few 
times  and  died.  The  exertion  I  made  to  recover  her,  to- 
gether with  the  shock  my  frame  and  feelings  received  at  her 
sudden  decease,  brought  me  also  near  the  gates  of  death. 
I  indeed  thought  the  time  of  my  departure  was  at  hand,  and 
that  all  my  toils  and  perplexities  were  ended.  I  had  no 
physician,  no  medicine,  no  attendant  but  Mr.  Judson.  Added 
to  this,  we  were  in  a  small,  dirty  vessel,  which  was  kept  in 
continual  motion  by  the  violence  of  the  wind  and  sea.  Per- 
fect ease  and  quiet  seemed  absolutely  necessary  for  my 
recovery  ;  but  these  it  appeared  impossible  to  obtain.  But 
all  things  are  possible  with  God  ;  and  we  were  never  so 
sensible  of  His  care  and  protection  as  at  this  time. 

"  In  the  midst  of  our  darkness  and  distress,  and  when  we 
had  given  up  all  hope  of  my  recover)^,  our  captain  informed 
us  that  we  were  close  to  the  Andaman  Islands,  and  that  we 


50  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  TRAM  JUDSON. 

could  escape  being  driven  on  them  in  no  way  but  by  going 
through  a  narrow  channel  between  two  of  them.  We  were 
in  much  danger,  but  the  vessel  was  almost  perfectly  still,  as 
we  were  in  smooth  water  as  soon  as  we  entered  the  channel, 
the  wind  being  broken  by  the  islands.  Thus  I  obtained  that 
ease  and  quiet  which  a  few  moments  before  seemed  impos- 
sible to  obtain.  We  were  three  weeks  on  our  passage,  and 
when  we  arrived  I  was  not  able  to  walk,  nor  had  I  even  left 

my  bed  for  half  an  hour We  felt  very  gloomy  and 

dejected  the  first  night  we  arrived,  in  view  of  our  prospects  ; 
but  we  were  enabled  to  lean  on  God,  and  to  feel  that  He  was 
able  to  support  us  under  the  most  discouraging  circum- 
stances. The  next  morning  I  prepared  to  go  on  shore,  but 
hardly  knew  how  I  should  get  to  Mr.  Carey's  house,  as  there 
was  no  method  of  conveyance  except  a  horse,  which  I  was 
unable  to  ride.  It  was,  however,  concluded  that  I  should  be 
carried  in  an  arm-chair  ;  consequently,  when  I  landed,  one 
was  provided,  through  which  were  put  two  bamboos,  and 
four  of  the  natives  took  me  on  their  shoulders.  When  they 
had  carried  me  a  little  way  into  the  town,  they  set  me  down 
under  a  shade,  when  great  numbers  of  the  natives  gathered 
around,  as  they  had  seldom  seen  an  English  female.  Being 
sick  and  weak,  I  held  my  head  down,  which  induced  many 
of  the  native  females  to  come  very  near  and  look  under  my 
bonnet.  At  this  I  looked  up  and  smiled,  at  which  they  set 
up  a  loud  laugh.  They  again  took  me  up  to  carry,  and  the 
multitude  of  natives  gave  a  shout,  which  much  diverted  us. 
They  next  carried  me  to  a  place  they  call  the  custom-house. 
It  was  a  small  open  shed,  in  which  were  seated  on  mats 
several  natives,  who  were  the  custom-house  officers.  After 
searching  Mr.  Judson  very  closely,  they  asked  liberty  for  a 
native  female  to  search  me,  to  which  I  readily  consented.  I 
was  then  brought  to  the  mission-house,  where  I  have  entirely 

recovered    my  health The   country  presents   a   rich, 

beautiful  appearance,  everywhere  covered  with  vegetation, 
and,  if  cultivated,  would  be  one  of  the  .finest  in  the  world. 
But  the  poor  natives  have  no  inducement  to  labor  to  raise 
anything,  as  it  would  probably  be  taken  from  them  by  their 


FOVAG£   TO  BURMAH. 


51 


oppressive  rulers.  Many  of  them  live  on  leaves  and  vege- 
tables that  grow  spontaneously,  and  some  actually  die  with 
hunger.  Everything  is  extremely  high,  therefore  many  are 
induced  to  steal  whatever  comes  in  their  way.  There  are 
constant  robberies  and  murders  committed.  Scarcely  a 
night  passes  but  houses  are  broken  open  and  things  stolen. 
Yet  our  trust  and  confidence  are  in  our  heavenly  Father, 
who  can  easily  preserve  and  protect  us  though  a  host  should 
encamp  about  us.  I  think  God  has  taught  us  by  experience 
what  it  is  to  trust  in  Him,  and  find  comfort  and  peace  in 
feeling  that  He  is  everywhere  present.  O  for  more  ardent, 
supreme  love  to  Him,  and  greater  willingness  to  suffer  in 
His  cause  !  " 

Extract  from  a  letter  hy  Mr.  Judson. 

"After  a  mournful  separation  from  brother  Rice,  at  the 
Isle  of  France,  in  March,  1813,  we  remained  there  about  two 
months,  waiting  for  a  passage  to  some  of  the  eastern  islands, 
not  venturing  at  that  time  to  think  a  mission  to  Burmah 
practicable.  But  there  being  no  prospect  of  accomplishing 
our  wishes  directly,  we  concluded  to  take  passage  to  Madras, 
and  proceed  thence  as  circumstances  should  direct.  We  ar- 
rived there  in  June,  and  were  immediately  informed  of  the 
renewed  hostilities  of  the  company's  government  toward 
missionaries,  exhibited  in  their  treatment  of  the  brethren 
both  at  Serampore  and  Bombay.  We  were,  of  course,  re- 
ported to  the  police,  and  an  account  of  our  arrival  forwarded 
to  the  supreme  government  in  Bengal.  It  became,  there- 
fore, a  moral  certainty  that,  as  soon  as  an  order  could  be 
received  at  Madras,  we  should  be  again  arrested,  and  ordered 
to  England.  Our  only  safety  appeared  to  consist  in  escaping 
from  Madras  before  such  order  should  arrive.  It  may  easily 
be  conceived  with  what  feelings  I  inquired  the  destination  of 
vessels  in  the  Madras  roads.  I  found  none  that  would  sail 
in  season,  but  one  bound  to  Rangoon.  A  mission  to  Ran- 
goon we  had  been  accustomed  to  regard  Avith  feelings  of 
horror.  But  it  was  now  brought  to  a  point.  We  must  either 
venture  there  or  be  sent  to  Europe.  All  other  paths  were 
shut  up  ;    and  thus  situated,  though   dissuaded   by  all  our 


52  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOiV. 

friends  at  Madras,  we  commended  ourselves  to  the  care  of 
God,  and  embarked  on  the  2 2d  of  June.  It  was  a  crazy  old 
vessel.  The  captain  was  the  only  person  on  board  that  could 
speak  our  language,  and  we  had  no  other  apartment  than 
what  was  made  by  canvas.  Our  passage  was  very  tedious. 
Mrs.  Judson  was  taken  dangerously  ill,  and  continued  so 
until,  at  one  period,  I  came  to  experience  the  awful  sensation 
which  necessarily  resulted  from  the  expectation  of  an  imme- 
diate separation  from  my  beloved  wife,  the  only  remaining 
companion  of  my  wanderings.  About  the  same  time,  the 
captain  being  unable  to  make  the  Nicobar  Island,  where  it 
was  intended  to  take  in  a  cargo  of  cocoa-nuts,  we  were  driven 
into  a  dangerous  strait,  between  the  Little  and  Great  Anda- 
mans,  two  savage  coasts,  where  the  captain  had  never  been 
before,  and  where,  if  we  had  been  cast  ashore,  we  should, 
according  to  all  accounts,  have  been  killed  and  eaten  by  the 
natives.  But  as  one  evil  is  sometimes  an  antidote  to  another, 
so  it  happened  with  us.  Our  being  driven  into  this  danger- 
ous but  quiet  channel  brought  immediate  relief  to  the  agi- 
tated and  exhausted  frame  of  Mrs.  Judson,  and  conduced 
essentially  to  her  recovery.  And  in  the  event,  we  were  safely 
conducted  over  the  black  rocks  which  we  sometimes  saw  in 
the  gulf  below,  and  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  islands  found 
favorable  winds,  which  gently  wafted  us  forward  to  Rangoon. 
But  on  arriving  here,  other  trials  awaited  us. 

"We  had  never  before  seen  a  place  where  European  influ- 
ence had  not  contributed  to  smooth  and  soften  the  rough 
features  of  uncultivated  nature.  The  prospect  of  Rangoon, 
as  we  approached,  was  quite  disheartening.  I  went  on  shore 
just  at  night,  to  take  a  view  of  the  place,  and  the  mission- 
house  ;  but  so  dark,  and  cheerless,  and  unpromising  did  all 
things  appear,  that  the  evening  of  that  day,  after  my  return 
to  the  ship,  we  have  marked  as  the  most  gloomy  and  distress- 
ing that  we  ever  passed.  Instead  of  rejoicing,  as  we  ought 
to  have  done,  in  having  found  a  heathen  land  from  which  we 
were  not  immediately  driven  away,  such  were  our  weaknesses 
that  we  felt  we  had  no  portion  left  here  below,  and  found 
consolation   only  in  looking  beyond  our  pilgrimage,  which 


VOYAGE   TO  BURMAH. 


53 


we  tried  to  flatter  ourselves  would  be  short,  to  that  peaceful 
region  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary- 
are  at  rest.  But  if  ever  we  commended  ourselves  sincerely, 
and  without  reserve,  to  the  disposal  of  our  heavenly  Father, 
it  was  on  this  evening.  And  after  some  recollection  and 
prayer,  we  experienced  something  of  the  presence  of  Him 
who  cleaveth  closer  than  a  brother  ;  something  of  that  peace 
which  our  Saviour  bequeathed  to  His  followers — a  legacy 
which  we  know  from  this  experience  endures  when  the  fleet- 
ing pleasures  and  unsubstantial  riches  of  the  world  are  passed 
away.  The  next  day  Mrs.  Judson  was  carried  into  the  town, 
being  unable  to  walk  ;  and  we  found  a  home  at  the  mission- 
house,  though  Mr.  Carey  was  absent  at  Ava." 

When  the  tidings  reached  America  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Judson  and  Mr.  Rice,  Congregational  missionaries,  sent  out 
by  the  American  Board,  had  been  immersed  at  Calcutta, 
the  Baptists  throughout  the  whole  land  were  thrilled  with 
a  glad  surprise.  God  had  suddenly  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Baptist  denomination  three  fully-equipped  mission- 
aries. They  were  already  in  the  field,  and  action  must  be 
prompt.  Several  influential  ministers  in  Massachusetts  met 
at  the  house  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  in  Boston,  and  organized  the 
"  Baptist  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  in  India  and 
other  Foreign  Parts."  They  also,  as  well  as  the  American 
Board,  first  turned  instinctively  toward  England  for  counsel 
and  help.  They  proposed  to  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
in  London  that  Mr.  Judson  should  be  associated  with  Messrs. 
Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward,  at  Serampore,  and  that  the 
Baptists  in  England  and  America  should  co-operate  in  the 
work  of  foreign  missions.  This,  however,  did  not  seem  wise 
to  the  English  brethren,  and  so  America  was  again  thrown 
back  upon  her  own  resources. 

Mr.  Rice,  upon  his  return  to  this  country,  travelled  every- 
where, telling  the  thrilling  story  of  the  experiences  of  these 
pioneer  missionaries.  The  greatest  enthusiasm  was  aroused, 
and  missionary  societies  similar  to  the  one  in  Boston  sprang 


54  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOKIRAM  JUDSON. 

up  in  the  Middle  and  Southern  States.  In  order  to  secure 
concert  of  action  it  seemed  best  that  there  should  be  a  gen- 
eral convention,  in  which  all  these  societies  might  be  repre- 
sented. Accordingly,  on  the  i8th  of  May,  1814,  delegates 
from  Baptist  churches  and  missionary  societies  throughout 
the  land  convened  in  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Philadel- 
phia. These  delegates  organized  a  body  which  was  styled 
"  The  General  Missionary  Convention  of  the  Baptist  De- 
nomination in  the  United  States  of  America  for  Foreign 
Missions."  The  sum  of  four  thousand  dollars  was  put  into 
the  treasury,  contributed  by  the  local  societies  ;  and  it  was 
thought  that  possibly  an  annual  income  of  five  thousand 
two  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  might  be  secured.  It  was 
the  day  of  small  things.  In  1845  the  Southern  brethren 
withdrew  to  form  a  society  of  their  own,  called  "  The  South- 
ern Convention."  The  Northern  organization  adopted  a 
new  constitution,  and  assumed  the  name  of  "  The  American 
Baptist  Missionary  Union."  Its  receipts  for  1880  were 
about  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  dollars. 

Although  Mr.  Judson's  change  in  denominational  attitude 
occasioned  considerable  irritation  at  the  time,  yet  good  and 
wise  men  of  all  religious  bodies,  viewing  his  conduct  from 
the  stand-point  of  the  present,  are  agreed  that  it  proved  a 
blessing  to  the  Christian  world  at  large.  It  occasioned  the 
formation  of  a  second  Missionary  Society.  There  came  to 
be  two  great  benevolent  forces  at  work,  where  there  was 
only  one  before.  What  a  history-making  epoch  that  was  ! 
The  action  of  those  consecrated  students  at  Andover  led  to 
the  formation  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions,  and  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  the  one  the  organ  of  the  Congregationalists,  the 
other  of  the  Baptists  of  America.  A  watershed  was  up- 
heaved, from  which  two  beneficent  and  ever-widening 
streams  flowed  forth  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

Mr.  Judson's  life  also  marks  the  beginning  of  that  won- 
derful growth  which  has  characterized  the  Baptist  denomi- 


VO  YA  GE  TO  B  URMAH.  5  5 

nation  in  this  country,  for  in  gathering  together  and  rallying 
for  his  support  the  Baptists  awoke  to  self-consciousness. 
They  arrived  at  the  epoch,  so  momentous  in  the  life  either 
of  a  society  or  of  an  individual,  when  the  infant  passes  out 
of  a  mere  sort  of  vegetable  existence  into  a  consciousness 
of  his  being  and  power. 

"  But  as  he  grows  he  gathers  much, 
And  learns  the  use  of  '/'  and  'Me' 
And  finds  '  I  am  not  what  I  see, 
And  other  than  the  things  I  touch,' " 

In  the  history  of  a  social  body,  as  well  as  of  the  human 
infant,  the  period  of  self-consciousness  is  the  beginning  of 
all  real  power.  In  18 12  the  Baptists  of  America  were  a 
scattered  and  feeble  folk,  and  lacked  solidarity.  There  was 
little  or  no  denominational  spirit.  The  summons  to  the 
foreign  field  shook  them  together.  A  glass  of  water  may 
be  slowly  reduced  in  temperature  even  to  a  point  one  or  two 
degrees  below  freezing,  and  yet  remain  uncongealed,  pro- 
vided it  be  kept  perfectly  motionless.  If,  then,  it  is  slightly 
jarred  it  will  suddenly  turn  into  ice.  The  Baptist  denom- 
ination of  America  was  in  just  such  a  state  of  suspense.  It 
needed  to  be  jarred  and  shaken  into  solid  and  enduring 
form.  Mr.  Judson's  words :  "  Should  there  be  formed  a  Bap- 
tist society  for  the  support  of  a  mission  hi  these  parts,  I  should 
be  ready  to  consider  myself  their  missionary"  proved  to  be 
the  crystallizing  touch. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

BURMAH. 

Let  us  now  take  a  look  at  the  country  in  which  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Judson  at  last  found  themselves.  At  the  present  time 
there  are  two  distinct  Burmahs :  British  Burmah  and  Inde- 
pendent Burmah.  But  at  the  time  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jud- 
son arrived  in  Rangoon,  these  two  countries  formed  one 
great  Empire,  ruled  by  one  monarch,  whose  throne  was  at 
Ava.  Under  successive  British  invasions  the  Empire  has 
shrunk  to  two-thirds  of  its  original  size.  The  English  have 
appropriated  the  whole  of  the  seaboard,  the  fertile  lowlands 
forming  the  richest  rice-producing  district  in  the  world,  and 
the  heavy  teak  forests  of  Pegu,  which  yield  ship  timber  un- 
rivalled for  its  durability.  At  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Judsons,  Burmah  was  1,020  miles  long  and  600  miles  wide. 
It  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Assam  and  Thibet ;  on  the 
east  by  China  and  Siam ;  and  on  the  south  and  west  by  the 
Bay  of  Bengal  and  the  British  provinces  of  India.  Its  area 
was  280,000  square  miles ;  so  that  it  was  four  times  as  large 
as  the  whole  of  New  England. 

Burmah  is  scored  by  three  parallel  rivers  that  flow  south- 
ward :  the  Irrawaddy,  Sittang,  and  the  Salwen.*  By  far  the 
largest  of  these  is  the  Irrawaddy,  which  is  navigable  by  steam- 
ers to  Bhamo,  840  miles  from  the  mouth.  The  country  is 
made  up  of  these  three  parallel  river  valleys,  and  the  mount- 
ain chains  which  flank  them.  The  land  in  Asia  gradually 
slopes  from  the  Himalayas  southward  toward  the  Bay  of 
Bengal.  Starting  at  the  south  and  moving  northward,  the 
traveller  finds  first  broad  paddy-fields,  submerged  during  a 


♦See  Map  II. 

(56) 


BURMAH.  57 

part  of  the  year  by  the  network  of  streams  through  which 
the  Irrawaddy  finds  its  way  to  the  sea  ;  then  he  traverses  up- 
land plains  ;  then  a  rolling  country,  with  ranges  of  hills  ;  and 
finally  deep  forests,  high  mountains,  and  the  magnificent 
defiles,  through  which  the  rivers  flow. 

The  southern  part  of  Burmah,  like  Egypt,  owes  its  fertil- 
ity to  an  annual  inundation  which  is  thus  described  by  an 
English  of^cer  :* 

"With  the  exception  of  high  knolls  standing  up  here  and  there,  and  a 
strip  of  high  ground  at  the  base  of  the  hills,  the  whole  country,  fields, 
roads,  bridges,  is  under  water  from  one  to  twelve  feet,  or  more,  in  depth. 
Boats  are  the  only  means  of  locomotion  for  even  a  few  yards.  You  sail 
across  the  country,  ploughing  through  the  half-submerged  long  grass, 
piloting  a  way  through  the  clumps  of  brushwood  and  small  trees,  into 
the  streets  of  large  agricultural  villages,  where  the  cattle  are  seen  stabled 
high  up  in  the  houses,  twelve  feet  from  the  ground  ;  the  children  are 
catching  fish  with  lines  through  the  floor ;  the  people  are  going  about 
their  daily  concerns,  if  it  is  only  to  borrow  a  cheroot  from  their  next-door 
neighbor,  in  canoes  ;  in  short,  ail  the  miseries  and  laughable  contretemps 
sometimes  pictured  in  the  illustrated  papers  as  caused  by  floods  in 
Europe,  may  be  seen — with  this  difference,  that  every  one  is  so  ac- 
customed to  them  that  they  never  crSate  a  thought  of  surprise." 

The  northern  part  of  Burmah  abounds  in  mountain 
streams  of  exquisite  beauty.  An  eye-witness  describes 
them  in  glowing  terms,  as  follows  :  f 

"  In  some  places  they  are  seen  leaping  in  cascades  over  precipices 
from  50  to  100  feet  high ;  in  others,  spreading  out  into  deep,  quiet  lakes. 
In  some  places  they  run  purling  over  pebbles  of  milk-white  quartz,  or 
grass-green  prase,  or  yellow  jasper,  or  sky-blue  slate,  or  variegated 
porphyry ;  in  others,  they  glide  like  arrows  over  rounded  masses  of 
granite,  or  smooth,  angular  pieces  of  green  stone.  In  some  places 
nought  can  be  heard  but  the  stunning  sounds  of  'deep  calling  unto 
deep ';  in  others,  the  mind  is  led  to  musing  by  the  quiet  murmur  of  the 
brook,  that  falls  upon  the  ear  like  distant  music.  The  traveller's  path 
often  leads  him  up  the  middle  of  one  of  these  streams,  and  every  turn, 
like  that  of  a  kaleidoscope,  reveals  something  new  and  pleasing  to  the 


*  See  Forbes's  "  British  Burmah." 

+  See  Mason's  "  The  Natural  Productions  of  Burmah. 


58  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

* 
eye.  Here  a  daisy-like  flower  nods  over  the  margin,  as  if  to  look  at  her 
modest  face  in  the  reflecting  waters ;  there  the  lotus-leafed,  wild  arum 
stands  knee-deep  in  water,  shaking  around  with  the  motion  of  the  stream 
the  dew-drops  on  its  peltate  bosom  like  drops  of  glittering  quicksilver. 
Here  the  fantastic  roots  of  a  willow,  sprinkled  with  its  woolly  capsules, 
come  down  to  the  water's  edge,  or  it  may  be  a  eugenia  tree,  with  its 
fragrant  white  corymbs,  or  a  water  dillenia,  with  its  brick-red,  scaly 
trunk,  and  green,  apple-like  fruit,  occupies  its  place;  there  the  long, 
drooping  red  tassels  of  the  barringtonia  hang  far  over  the  bank,  dropping 
its  blossoms  on  the  water,  food  for  numerous  members  of  the  carp  family 
congregated  below." 

Having  studied  the  Geography  and  the  Physical  Geography 
of  Burmah,  we  turn  to  its  Natural  History.  The  domestic 
animals  are  the  ox,  buffalo,  horse,  and  the  goat.  The  horses 
are  small,  and  are  used  for  riding,  never  as  beasts  of  burden. 
The  dog  is  not  kept  as  a  pet,  or  for  hunting,  but,  as  in  other 
Oriental  countries,  he  roams  about  the  cities  in  a  half-wild 
condition,  devouring  offal,  and  at  last  becomes  the  victim 
of  famine  or  disease.  The  jungles  swarm  with  wild  animals, 
the  monkey,  elephant,  rhinoceros,  tiger,  leopard,  deer,  and 
wild-cat.  The  elephants  are,  caught,  tamed,  and  used  for 
riding.  The  white  elephant,  or  albino,  is  especially  prized. 
A  specimen  is  always  kept  at  court  as  the  insignia  of  royalty, 
one  of  the  king's  titles  being,  "  Lord  of  the  White  Elephant." 
The  tiger  sometimes  steals  out  of  the  jungle  into  a  Karen 
village,  and  carries  off  a  pig  or  a  calf,  or  even  a  child.  When 
once  he  has  tasted  human  blood,  he  is  very  dangerous.  An 
American  missionary,  a  lady,  relates  that  she  came  once  to 
a  native  village  which  a  tiger  had  formed  the  habit  of  visit- 
ing every  night.  On  each  occasion  he  would  carry  off  some 
domestic  animal.  The  villagers  had  taken  no  measures  to 
avert  the  danger.  She  urged  them  to  try  and  kill  the 
monster.  She  described  how  speedily  an  American  village 
would  rid  itself  of  such  a  nuisance.  And  so  they  built  an 
enormous  trap  or  dead-fall.  The  trunk  of  a  tree  was  to  fall 
and  break  the  tiger's  back.  A  squealing  pig  was  tied  up 
for  bait.    The  following  night  some  English  officers  arrived. 


BURMAH.  59 

They  sat  up  late  talking  over  their  adventures,  when  sud- 
denly a  terrific  roar  pealed  through  the  village.  The  officers 
rushed  out  and  found  an  enormous  Bengal  tiger  pinned 
down  in  the  trap.  They  speared  him  to  death,  and  his 
beautiful  skin  was  given  to  the  lady  as  a  trophy. 

Even  in  the  towns  the  dove-cote  has  to  be  placed  on  the 
top  of  a  high  pole,  the  base  of  which  is  sheathed  with  tin, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  wild-cats  from  climbing  up  and  de- 
vouring the  doves.  One  of  the  author's  childish  reminis- 
cences is  seeing  in  a  cage  a  wild-cat  that  had  been  caught 
alive  in  the  belfry  of  the  church  at  Maulmain. 

Venomous  and  offensive  reptiles  and  insects  abound. 
While  you  are  eating  your  dinner  the  lizard  may  drop  from 
the  bamboo  rafters  upon  the  table.  As  you  step  out  of 
your  door  the  gleaming  forms  of  chameleons  shoot  up  the 
trunk  of  your  roof-tree  and  hide  themselves  in  the  branches. 
The  scorpion,  with  its  painful  sting,  and  the  centipede,  with 
its  poisonous  bite,  may  be  found  in  your  garden.  The 
children  must  be  warned  not  to  race  through  the  bushes  in 
your  compound,  lest  they  encounter  the  hated  cobra,  whose 
slightest  nip  is  sure  and  speedy  death.  The  author  remem- 
bers his  father  taking  the  Burman  spear,  the  only  weapon 
which  he  ever  used,  and  going  down  into  the  poultry-yard 
to  dispatch  a  cobra,  whose  track  had  first  been  discovered 
in  the  dust  beneath  the  house. 

How  much  discomfort  and  suffering  are  caused,  even  in 
our  own  land,  by  rats,  mice,  snakes,  flies,  and  mosquitoes! 
And  the  foreign  missionary  has  these  same  pests,  but  in  a 
more  aggravated  form.  These  are  larger,  more  numerous, 
and  in  addition  to  them  he  has  to  cope  with  the  white  ants 
that  in  armies  destroy  his  furniture,  the  scorpion,  the  centi- 
pede, the  cobra,  the  tiger. 

The  inhabitants  of  Burmah  next  claim  our  attention. 
The  Burmans  belong  to  the  Mongolian  race,  the  character- 
istics of  which  are  "  long,  straight  hair ;  almost  complete 
absence  of  beard,  and  hair  on  the  body ;  a  dark-colored  skin, 


6o  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

varying  from  a  leather-like  yellow  to  a  deep  brown,  or  some- 
times tending  to  red  ;  and  prominent  cheek-bones,  generally 
accompanied  by  an  oblique  setting  of  the  eyes."  * 

The  Burmans  are  described  by  a  modern  writer  f  as  "  of  a 
stout,  active,  well-proportioned  form  ;  of  a  brown,  but  never 
of  an  intensely  dark  complexion,  with  black,  coarse,  and 
abundant  hair,  and  a  little  more  beard  than  is  possessed  by 
the  Siamese." 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson's  arrival,  the  popula- 
tion numbered  from  six  to  eight  millions.  This  included, 
however,  not  only  Burmans,  who  are  the  ruling  race,  and 
dwell  mainly  in  the  larger  towns  and  cities,  but  also  several 
subject  races — Shans,  Karens,  Kakhyens — half-wild  people, 
who  live  in  villages  scattered  through  the  jungles  and  along 
the  mountain  streams.  These  tribes  have  different  habits, 
and  speak  a  different  language  from  the  Burmans.  They 
are  related  to  the  Burmans  somewhat  as  the  North  Ameri- 
can Indians  are  to  us,  being,  perhaps,  the  original  inhabitants 
of  the  country,  and  having  been  subjugated  at  some  remote 
period  of  the  past.  It  would  seem  that  wave  after  wave  of 
Mongolian  conquerors  had  swept  over  the  country  from  the 
North,  and  these  tribes  are  the  fragments  of  wrecked 
nationalities. 

Major  Yule,  in  his  "  Embassy  to  Ava,"  gives  the  following 
graphic  description  of  the  mental  and  moral  traits  of  the 
Burmese  : 

"  Unlike  the  generality  of  the  Asiatics,  they  are  not  a  fawning  race. 
They  are  cheerful,  and  singularly  alive  to  the  ridiculous ;  buoyant,  elastic, 
soon  recovering  from  personal  or  domestic  disaster.  With  little  feeling 
of  patriotism,  they  are  still  attached  to  their  homes,  greatly  so  to  their 
families.  Free  from  prejudices  of  caste  or  creed,  they  readily  fraternize  with 
strangers,  and  at  all  times  frankly  yield  to  the  superiority  of  a  European. 
Though  ignorant,  they  are,  when  no  mental  exertion  is  required,  inquisi- 
tive, and  to  a  certain  extent  eager  for  information ;  indifferent  to  the 
shedding  of  blood  on  the  part  of  their  rulers,  yet  not  individually  cruel ; 
temperate,  abstemious,  and  hardy,  but  idle,  with  neither  fixedness  of  pur- 


*  Oscar  PescheL  t  Major  Yule,  in  his  "  Embassy  to  Ava." 


BURMA  IT.  6 1 

pose  nor  perseverance.  Discipline  or  any  continued  employment  be- 
comes most  irksome  to  them,  yet  they  are  not  devoid  of  a  certain  degree  of 
enterprise.  Great  dabblers  in  small  mercantile  ventures,  they  may  be 
called  (the  women  especially)  a  race  of  hucksters ;  not  treacherous  or 
habitual  pervcrters  of  the  truth,  yet  credulous  and  given  to  monstrous 
exaggerations ;  when  vested  with  authority,  arrogant  and  boastful  ;  if 
unchecked,  corrupt,  oppressive,  and  arbitrary;  yet  distinguished  for 
bravery,  whilst  their  chiefs  are  notorious  for  cowardice ;  indifferent  shots, 
and  though  living  in  a  country  abounding  in  forest,  not  bold  followers  of 
field  sports." 

But  what  is  the  industrial  life  of  the  Burmans?  The  soil 
of  Burmah  is  richly  productive  of  all  that  is  needed  for  food 
or  clothing  or  shelter  or  ornament.  The  chief  crops  are 
rice,  maize  or  Indian  corn,  wheat,  tobacco,  cotton,  and 
indigo.  It  is  computed  that  80  per  cent,  of  all  the  rice 
brought  from  the  East  to  Europe  is  produced  in  the  rich 
paddy-fields  of  British  Burmah. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  delicious  fruits — the  jack-fruit, 
the  bread-fruit,  oranges,  bananas,  guavas,  pine-apples,  and 
the  cocoa-nut.  After  the  annual  inundation,  the  subsiding 
rivers  leave  behind  them,  in  the  depressions  of  the  ground, 
ponds  well  stocked  with  fish.  Beef  and  mutton  the  Burman 
learns  to  forego,  as  his  religion  does  not  allow  him  to  eat 
cattle  or  sheep  unless  they  die  a  natural  death.  His  meal  of 
rice  and  curry  is  sometimes  enriched  by  the  addition  of 
poultry.  The  bamboo  yields  building  material  for  his 
houses,  and  the  teak  forest  timber  for  his  ships.  The  min- 
eral resources  are  large.  The  earth  yields  iron,  tin,  silver, 
gold,  sapphires,  emeralds,  rubies,  amber,  sulphur,  arsenic, 
antimony,  coal  (both  anthracite  and  bituminous),  and  petro- 
leum oil,  which  is  used  by  all  classes  in  little  clay  lamps. 

And  yet  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  our  missionaries,  and 
even  now  in  Independent  Burmah,  there  is  no  commerce  on 
a  large  scale.  This  is  shown  by  the  high  rate  of  interest,  25 
per  cent.,  and  60  per  cent,  when  no  security  is  given.  The 
very  productiveness  of  his  country  made  the  Burman  of  fifty 
years  ago  feel  independent  of  foreign  nations.     He  took  the 


62  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR AM  JUDSON. 

narrow  view  that  exportation  only  tended  to  impoverish- 
ment. The  Government  rigidly  prohibited  all  important 
exportation  except  that  of  the  cheap  and  abundant  teak 
timber.  Gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones  must  not  be 
carried  out  for  fear  of  reducing  the  country  to  poverty.  If 
in  those  days  an  English  merchant  had  carried  a  large  quan- 
tity of  silks  and  calicoes  to  the  royal  city,  and  had  exchanged 
them  for  ;^5,ooo  in  gold,  he  could  possess  and  enjoy  the 
money  there,  but  he  could  not,  except  by  bribery,  succeed 
in  carrying  it  home.  His  wealth  made  him  practically  an 
exile  and  a  prisoner.  The  marble  could  not  be  exported, 
because  it  was  consecrated  to  the  building  of  idols  and 
pagodas.  The  cotton  and  the  rice  could  not  be  exported,  lest 
there  should  not  be  enough  left  for  the  clothing  and  food 
of  the  population.  The  only  commerce  worth  mentioning 
was  with  China.  The  Chinese  caravans  brought,  overland, 
large  quantities  of  raw  silk,  and  received  cotton  in  exchange. 

On  account  of  the  low  state  of  commerce,  the  science  of 
navigation  was  quite  unknown  to  the  Burmans.  When 
sailors  made  their  little  trips,  in  the  dry  season,  along  the 
shore  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  they  took  pains  never  to  pass 
out  of  sight  of  land. 

There  were  no  extensive  manufactures  in  Burmah,  for 
these  required  an  accumulation  of  large  capital ;  and  a  man 
could  never  be  sure  that  his  wealth  would  not  be  wrested 
from  him  by  the  Government.  And  so  the  chief  article  of 
manufacture  is  lacquer-ware,  as  this  requires  but  little  cap- 
ital. Woven  strips  of  bamboo  were  smeared  with  mud,  and 
baked,  and  polished,  and  varnished,  and  then  manufactured 
into  beautiful  boxes  and  trays. 

Most  of  the  Burmans,  however,  are  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  They  raise  rice  and  catch  fish,  which  they 
pound  up  into  a  mass  with  coarse  salt,  and  so  produce  their 
favorite  relish,  ngapee.  Immense  quantities  of  rice  and 
ngapee  are  carried  up  the  Irrawaddy  in  boats,  and  sold  at  the 
capital  and  in  the  upper  provinces  of  Burmah. 


BURMAH.  (i'x^ 

The  government  of  Independent  Burmah  '">  an  absolute 
despotism.  The  king  has  supreme  power  over  the  Hfe  and 
possessions  of  every  subject.  He  may  confiscate  property, 
imprison,  torture,  or  execute  at  his  pleasure, — his  only  re- 
straint being  fear  of  an  insurrection.  An  English  writer 
relates  that  at  the  sovereign's  command  one  of  the  highest 
officers  of  the  State  was  seized  by  the  public  executioner, 
and  stretched  on  the  ground  by  the  side  of  the  road,  under 
a  scorching  sun,  with  a  heavy  weight  upon  his  chest,  and 
afterward  restored  to  his  high  position.  There  are,  indeed, 
two  Councils  of  State,  by  which  the  government  is  adminis- 
tered, but  the  members  of  these  councils  are  appointed  by 
the  king,  and  may  be  degraded  or  executed  at  his  word. 
The  late  monarch  of  Burmah  saw  the  evils  of  this  despotic 
system,  and,  in  arranging  for  the  succession,  formed  a  plan 
by  which  his  successor  should  be  subject  to  limitation  by 
his  prime  ministers.  But  the  new  king,  Thebaw,  a  brutal 
and  licentious  boy  of  20,  frustrated  this  benignant  purpose. 
He  murdered  his  counsellors,  massacred  his  blood  relations, 
and  Burmah,  that  had  roused  herself  for  a  moment  from  her 
long  nightmare  of  despotism,  sank  again  into  sleep. 

The  whole  country  is  divided  into  provinces,  townships, 
districts,  and  villages.  Over  each  province  is  a  governor,  or 
as  the  Burmese  call  him,  an  Eater.  Through  his  underlings 
he  taxes  every  family.  His  officers  receive  a  share  of  what 
they  can  extort,  and  the  rest  he  divides  with  the  king.  In 
this  way  the  whole  land  is  a  scene  of  enormous  extortion. 
There  are  no  fixed  salaries  for  Government  functionaries. 
The  higher  officer  eats  a  certain  province  or  district.  The 
lower  officer  lives  on  fees  and  perquisites.  Courts  of  law 
are  corrupted  by  bribery.  It  is  customary  to  torture  wit- 
nesses. The  criminal  is  usually  executed  by  decapitation. 
He  may,  however,  be  disembowelled*,  or  thrown  to  wild 
beasts,  or  crucified,  or  have  his  limbs  broken  with  a  bludg- 
eon— if  he  can  not  effect  his  escape  by  the  plentiful  use  of 
money. 


64  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"On  the  7th  of  February,  1817,  seven  persons  found  guilty  of  sacri- 
lege were  conveyed  to  the  place  of  execution  near  Rangoon,  and  secured 
in  the  usual  way  to  the  stake.  The  first  of  them  was  fired  at  four  suc- 
cessive times  by  a  marksman  without  being  hit.  At  every  shot  there 
was  a  loud  peal  of  laughter  from  the  spectators.  The  malefactor  was 
taken  down,  declared  to  be  invulnerable,  pardoned,  and  taken  into  a 
cotifidential  employment  by  the  governor.  He  had  paid  a  large  bribe. 
The  second  culprit  was  shot,  and  tiie  remaining  five  were  decapitated."* 

Who  can  estimate  the  miseries  which  the  peasantry  must 
suffer  under  such  a  system  of  bribery  and  extortion?  It  is 
not  strange  that  the  late  Burman  monarch,  when  he  came 
to  the  throne,  uttered  the  exclamation,  ''  Great  God,  I  might 
as  well  be  king  over  a  desert !  " 

The  religion  of  Burmah  is  Buddhism.  Here  and  in 
the  Island  of  Ceylon,  this  cult  exists  in  its  purest  form. 
Buddhism  originated  in  India  about  500  years  before  Christ. 
Here  it  succeeded  in  supplanting  the  ancient  religion  of 
the  Hindoos,  derived  from  the  Vedas,  and  called  Brahmin- 
ism. 

India  was  in  former  times  saturated  with  Brahminical 
philosophy  and  Brahminical  ceremonial.  The  people  were 
completely  priest-ridden.  Buddhism  was  an  outgrowth 
from  Brahminism,  or  perhaps  rather  a  recoil  from  it.  It 
was  related  to  it  somewhat  as  Christianity  is  to  Judaism, 
or  Protestantism  to  the  Romish  Church.  For  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  Buddhism  had  a  very  rapid  and  vigorous 
growth  in  India,  but  soon  after  the  beginning  of  the  Chris- 
tian era  it  began  to  decay,  and  in  the  eighth  and  ninth 
centuries  A.D.,  in  consequence  of  a  great  persecution,  Bud- 
dhism was  completely  extirpated  in  India.  The  ancient  re- 
ligion, Brahminism,  was  reinstated,  and  Gaudama  has  no 
worshipper  in  the  land  of  his  birth. 

But  a  prophet  is-  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own 
country.  Buddhism  is  pervaded  by  a  missionary  spirit,  and 
has  won  its  way  by  peaceful  persuasion  into   Ceylon,   Bur- 


*  See  Crawfurd's  "  Embassy." 


BURMA  IT.  65 

mah,  Siam,  Thibet,  and  China.  It  is,  at  the  present  day, 
the  religion  of  more  than  four  hundred  millions  of  human 
beings — about  one-third  of  the  population  of  the  globe. 

Having  considered  the  distribution  of  Buddhism,  let  us 
contrast  it  with  Brahminism.  Buddhism,  like  Brahminism, 
holds  the  doctrine  of  transmigration  of  souls.  The  soul 
is  at  first  united  with  the  lowest  forms  of  organic  life.  By 
successive  births  it  may  climb  into  the  bodies  of  spiders, 
snakes,  chameleons,  and  after  long  ages  may  reach  the 
human  tenement.  Then  comes  the  period  of  probation. 
According  to  its  behavior  in  the  flesh  it  either  rises  still 
higher  to  occupy  the  glorious  forms  of  demigods  and  gods, 
or  it  relapses  little  by  little  into  its  low  estate,  and  again 
takes  up  its  wretched  abode  in  the  degraded  forms  of  the 
lower  animals. 

"  Life  runs  its  rounds  of  living,  climbing'  up, 
From  mote,  and  gnat,  and  worm,  reptile  and  fish, 
Bird  and  shagged  beast,  man,  demon,  deva,  God, 
To  clod  and  mote  again."* 

"  He  who  is  now  the  most  degraded  of  the  demons  may  one  day  rule 
the  highest  of  the  heavens  :  He  who  is  at  present  seated  on  the  most 
honorable  of  the  celestial  thrones,  may  one  day  writhe  amidst  all  the 
agonies  of  a  place  of  torment ;  and  the  worm  that  we  crush  under  our 
feet  may  in  the  course  of  ages  become  a  supreme  Buddha."t 

'  Eternal  process  moving  on, 

From  state  to  state  the  spirit  walks, 
And  these  are  but  the  shattered  stalks, 
And  ruined  chrysalis  of  one. "J 

This  belief  pervades  the  every-day  thinking  of  the  most 
ignorant  Burmese.  An  English  officer  writes,  that  "just 
before  the  drop  fell  with  a  wretched  murderer,  he  himself 
heard  him  mutter  as  his  last  word,  "  May  my  next  existence 
be  a  man's,  and  a  long  one  !  "  An  old  woman,  whose  grown- 

*  "  The  Light  of  Asia,"  by  Edwin  Arnold. 
+  Hardwick's  "  Christ  and  other  Masters." 
X  Tennyson's  "  In  Memoriam." 

5 


66  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

up  son  had  died,  thought  that  she  recognized  that  son's 
voice  in  the  bleating  of  a  neighbor's  calf.  She  threw  her 
arms  about  the  animal,  and  purchasing  it,  cherished  it  until 
its  death,  as  the  living  embodiment  of  her  own  child. 

Faith  in  transmigration  accounts  for  the  pious  Bud- 
dhist's treatment  of  the  lower  animals.  The  priests  strain 
the  gnats  out  of  the  water  they  drink.  "  They  do  not  eat 
after  noon,  nor  drink  after  dark,  for  fear  of  swallowing 
minute  insects,  and  they  carry  a  brush  on  all  occasions, 
with  which  they  carefully  sweep  every  place  before  they  sit 
down,  lest  they  should  inadvertently  crush  any  living 
creature."  Mr.  Huxley  tells  us  that  a  Hindoo's  peace  of 
mind  was  completely  destroyed  by  a  microscopist  who 
showed  him  the  animals  in  a  drop  of  water.  The  Bud- 
dhists often  build  hospitals  for  sick  brutes.  Perhaps  this 
deep-seated  and  hereditary  faith  in  transmigration  may  ac- 
count for  the  singular  apathy  of  the  natives  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  life  caused  by  snakes  and  tigers.  In  fact,  one  of  their 
legends  represents  the  founder  of  their  religion  as  sacrific- 
ing his  life-blood  to  slake  the  parched  thirst  of  a  starving 
tigress. 

Although  Brahminism  and  Buddhism  both  agree  in 
teaching  transmigration,  they  differ  widely  in  their  views 
of  God,  and  of  the  soul.  Brahminism  is  pantheistic ; 
Buddhism  atheistic.  According  to  Brahminism  matter  has 
no  real  existence.  All  physical  forms  are  the  merest  illu- 
sions. The  only  real  existences  are  souls.  These  are  all 
parts  of  a  great  Divine  soul,  from  which  they  emanate,  and 
into  which  they  will  at  last  be  reabsorbed,  as  when  a  flask 
of  water  is  broken  in  the  ocean.  Buddhism  denies  the  ex- 
istence not  only  of  matter,  but  of  the  soul  and  of  God.  It 
is  a  system  of  universal  negation.  There  is  no  trace  in  it 
of  a  Supreme  Being.  All  is  mere  seeming.  Nothing  is 
real  in  past,  present,  or  future. 

Again,  Brahminism  betrays  a  deep  consciousness  of  sin. 
It  teaches  the  necessity  of  doing  painful  penance  and  of 


BURMAH.  67 

offering  animal  sacrifices.  Buddhism  regards  sin  as  cosmical. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  blame  or  guilt.  There  is  no  medi 
ation  or  pardon.  The  Buddhist  brings  no  animal  to  the 
altar.  His  worship  consists  in  offering  up  prayers,  and  per- 
fumes, and  flowers,  in  memory  of  the  founder  of  his  re- 
ligion. 

Again,  Brahminism  is  aristocratic  ;  Buddhism  democratic. 
Brahminism  is  the  religion  of  caste.  It  divides  the  nation 
into  four  classes :  the  priest,  the  warrior,  the  tradesman, 
and  the  serf.  Besides  these,  but  lowest  of  all,  are  pariahs,  or 
outcastes — the  offspring  of  intercourse  that  violated  the  law 
of  caste.  There  can  be  no  social  mingling  of  the  castes. 
The  condition  of  the  serfs  is  most  wretched  and  humiliating. 
The  laws  of  Menu  ordain  that  their  abode  must  be  outside 
the  towns,  their  property  must  be  restricted  to  dogs  and 
asses,  their  clothes  should  be  those  left  by  the  dead,  their 
ornaments  rusty  iron  ;  they  must  roam  from  place  to  place ; 
no  respectable  person  must  hold  intercourse  with  them ; 
they  are  to  aid  as  public  executioners,  retaining  the  clothes 
of  the  dead.  Now  Buddhism  rejected  the  system  of  caste. 
Gaudama  taught :  "  The  priest  is  born  of  a  woman  ;  so  is 
the  outcaste.  My  law  is  a  law  of  grace  for  all.  My  doctrine 
is  like  the  sky.  There  is  room  for  all  without  exception, 
men,  women,  boys,  girls,  poor  and  rich."  The  two  beauti- 
ful stories  that  follow  remind  us  of  the  spirit  and  behavior 
of  our  own  blessed  Lord. 

Amanda,  an  eminent  disciple  of  Gaudama,  meets  an  out- 
caste girl,  drawing  water  at  a  well.  He  asks  for  a  draught. 
She  hesitates,  fearing  she  may  contaminate  him  by  her 
touch.  He  says,  "  My  sister,  I  do  not  ask,  what  is  thy 
caste,  or  thy  descent ;  I  beg  for  water :  if  thou  canst,  give  it 
me."  It  is  also  related  that  a  poor  man  filled  Gaudama 's 
alms-bowl  with  a  single  handful  of  flowers,  while  the  rich 
could  not  accomplish  it  with  ten  thousand  bushels  of  rice. 

But  let  us  glance  at  the  life  of  the  founder  of  Buddhism. 
He  is  called  Gaudama,  Siddartha,  or  Buddha.     Gaudama 


68  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

was  the  name  of  his  family ;  Siddartha  his  own  individual 
name,  and  Buddha,  "  the  enhghtened  one,"  the  surname  he 
acquired  by  his  wisdom.  He  was  born  about  the  year  500 
B.C.,  at  Kapihvastu,  a  few  days'  journey  from  Benares,  near 
the  base  of  the  Himalayas.  His  father  was  an  Indian  prince, 
and  ruled  over  a  tribe  called  the  Sakyas.  Buddha  is  de- 
scribed as  of  a  gentle,  ardent,  pensive,  philanthropic  nature. 
He  was  reared  in  the  lap  of  Oriental  luxury,  but  his  earnest 
nature  became  weary  with  pleasure.  Intimations  of  the 
wretchedness  of  the  peasantry  of  India  penetrated  even  the 
palace  walls.  The  winds  soughing  through  the  strings  of 
the  i^iolian  harp,  seemed  to  whisper  in  his  ear  the  miseries 
of  mankind. 

"  We  are  the  voices  of  the  wandering  wind, 
Which  moan  for  rest,  and  rest  can  never  find  ; 
Lo  !  as  the  wind  is,  so  is  mortal  life, 
A  moan,  a  sigh,  a  sob,  a  storm,  a  strife. 

"  O  Maya's  son  !  because  we  roam  the  earth. 
Moan  we  upon  these  strings ;  we  make  no  mirth. 
So  many  woes  we  see  in  many  lands. 
So  many  streaming  eyes,  and  wringing  hands."* 

The  desire  to  be  a  savior  takes  possession  of  his  breast. 
Four  ominous  sights  contribute  to  fix  his  purpose.  He 
sees  in  his  pleasure-grounds  an  old  man,  broken  and  de- 
crepit ;  again,  he  meets  a  man  smitten  with  a  malignant 
disease  ;  again,  his  eye  rests  upon  a  corpse.  He  learns  that 
such  are  the  destinies  of  himself  and  of  all  his  fellow-beings. 
At  last  he  sees  a  mendicant  monk  passing  by  with  his  alms 
bowl.  The  young  prince  resolves  to  leave  his  father,  his 
wealth,  his  power,  his  wife,  and  child,  and  become  a  home- 
less wanderer,  that  he  may  search  out  the  way  of  salvation 
for  himself  and  his  fellow-men.  He  first  became  a  Brahmini- 
cal  ascetic,  and  gave  himself  over  to  the  severest  penance 
and  self-torture.     Afterward  he  abandoned  this  altogether, 


*  "The  Light  of  .\£ia.' 


BURMAH.  6y 

and  at  last,  while  in  profoundcst  meditation  under  the  bo- 
tree,  he  discovers  the  way  of  life.  He  spends  his  remaining 
days  in  travelling  through  India,  preaching  his  gospel,  and 
gaining  many  disciples.  He  revisits  his  home  at  Kapilivastu. 
He  lives  to  be  an  old  man,  and  at  last  dies  with  the  words 
on  his  lips:  ''  Nothing,  nothing  is  durable  !  "  The  eminent 
French  savant,  M.  Barthelemy  St.  Hilaire,  says  : 

"  Je  n'hesite  pas  a  ajouter,  que,  sauf  le  Christ  tout  seul,  11  n'est  point, 
parmi  les  fondateurs  de  religion,  de  figure  plus  pure  ni  plus  touchante 
que  celledu  Bouddha.  Savie  n'a  point  de  tache.  Son  constant  heroism 
^gale  sa  conviction ;  et  si  la  theorie  qu'il  preconise  est  fausse,  les  ex- 
emples  personnels  qu'il  donne  sont  irreprochables.  II  est  le  modele 
achev6  de  toutes  les  vertus  qu'il  precha ;  son  abnegation,  sa  charite,  son 
inalterable  douceur,  ne  se  dementent  point  un  seul  instant ;  il  abandon ne 
a  vingt-neuf  ans  la  cour  du  roi,  son  pere,  pour  se  faire  religieux  et  men- 
diant ;  il  prepare  silencieusement  sa  doctrine  par  six  annees  de  retraite, 
et  de  meditation  ;  il  la  propage  par  la  seule  puissance  de  la  parole  et  de 
la  persuasion,  pendant  plus  d'un  demi  siecle ;  et  quand  il  meurt  entre 
les  bras  de  ses  disciples,  c'est  avec  la  ser^nite  d'un  sage  qui  a  pratique 
le  bien  toute  sa  vie,  et  qui  est  assure  d'avoir  trouve  le  vrai."  * 

But  one  eagerly  inquires,  What  was  the  way  of  salvation 
that  Buddha  discovered  under  the  bo-tree,  and  spent  half 
a  century  of  his  life  in  preaching?  Observe  successively 
the  point  of  departure,  the  goal,  and  the  way. 

Buddha  starts  out  with  the  idea  that  misery  is  the  indis- 
pensable accompaniment  of  existence — sorrow  is  shadow  to 
life.  The  foundation  of  his  philosopjiy  rests  in  the  densest 
pessimism.     While  we  are  bound  up  in  this  material  world, 

*  "  I  do  not  hesitate  to  add  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  Chrict  alone,  there  is 
among  the  founders  of  religions  no  purer  or  more  affecting  figure  than  that  of  Buddha. 
His  life  has  no  stain.  His  constant  heroism  equals  his  conviction  ;  and  if  the  theory 
which  he  extols  is  false,  the  personal  examples  which  he  gives  are  irreproachable.  He 
is  the  finished  model  of  all  the  virtues  which  he  preaches  ;  his  self-denial,  his  charity, 
his  unalterable  gentleness  do  not  fail  for  a  single  instant ;  at  twenty-nine  years  of  age 
he  leaves  the  court  of  the  king,  his  father,  in  order  to  become  a  recluse  and  a  menii- 
cant ;  he  silently  prepares  his  doctrine  during  six  years  of  seclusion  and  meditation  ; 
he  propagates  it  for  more  than  half  a  century  by  the  power  of  persuasion  alone  ;  and 
■when  he  dies  in  the  anns  of  his  disciples,  it  is  with  the  serenity  of  a  sage  who  haa 
practiced  the  good  all  his  life  and  who  is  assured  of  having  found  the  true." 


70  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

we  are  a  prey  to  disappointment,  disease,  old  age,  death. 
We  find  ourselves  "  caught  in  this  common  net  of  death 
and  woe,  and  life  which  binds  to  both."  There  is  no  way 
out  of  the  vast  and  monotonous  cycle  of  transmigration  ex- 
cept mX.o  Nirvana — the  blowijtg out — that  is,  total  extinction. 
The  highest  goal,  therefore,  to  which  we  can  attain  is 
utter  annihilation.  That  this  is  the  meaning  of  Nirvana,  or 
N'igban,  seems  established  beyond  a  doubt.  The  most  emi- 
nent authorities  on  Buddhism,  Barthelemy  St.  Hilaire, 
Bigandet,  Eugene  Burnouf,  Spence  Hardy,  and  Max 
Miiller,  all  agree  with  the  view  presented  by  Mr.  Judson 
many  years  ago,  that  Nirvana  or  Nigban  is  nothing  less  than 
a  total  extinction  of  soul  and  body.  It  is  the  final  blowing 
out  of  the  soul,  as  of  a  lamp ;  not  its  absorption,  as  when  a 
"  dew-drop  slips  into  the  shining  sea." 
It  is 

"  To  perish  rather,  swallowed  up  and  lost, 

In  the  wide  womb  of  uncreated  night. 

Devoid  of  sense  and  motion." 

But  in  what  way  is  this  bliss  of  annihilation  to  be  reached  ? 
Only  by  a  long  and  arduous  struggle.  There  are  four  truths 
to  be  believed,  i.  There  is  nothing  in  life  but  sorrow.  2. 
The  root  of  sorrow  is  desire.  3.  Desire  must  be  destroyed. 
4.  The  way  to  destroy  desire  is  to  follow  the  eightfold  path, 
viz.,  I.  Right  doctrine.  2.  Right  purpose.  3.  Right  dis- 
course. 4.  Right  behavior.  5.  Right  purity.  6.  Right 
thought.     7.  Right  solitude.     8.  Right  rapture. 

But  in  order  to  do  these  eight  right  things,  five  com- 
mandments must  be  kept.  i.  Not  to  kill.  2.  Not  to  steal. 
3.  Not  to  commit  adultery.  4.  Not  to  lie.  5.  Not  to  get  in- 
toxicated. And  upon  these  commandments  Gaudama  him- 
self gives  the  following  commentary : 

"  He  who  kills  as  much  as  a  louse  or  a  bug ;  he  who  takes  so  much  as 
a  thread  that  belongs  to  another  ;  he  who  with  a  wishful  thought  looks 
at  another  man's  wife  ;  he  who  makes  a  jest  of  what  concerns  the  ad- 
vantage of  another ;  he  who  puts  on  his  tongue  as  much  as  the  drop 


BURMAII.  11 

that  would  hang  upon  the  point  of  a  blade  of  grass,  of  anything  bearing 
the  sign  of  intoxicating  liquor,  has  broken  the  commandments." 

There  are  four  stages  to  be  arrived  at  in  the  way  of  salva- 
tion. I.  The  believer  has  a  change  of  heart,  and  conquers 
lust,  pride,  and  anger.  2.  He  is  set  free  from  ignorance, 
doubt,  and  wrong  belief.  3.  He  enters  the  state  of  universal 
kindliness.     4.  He  reaches  Nirvana. 

In  this  succession  of  stages  Buddha  makes  right  conduct 
a  precedent  condition  to  spiritual  knowledge  ;  and  so  is  in 
striking  harmony  with  a  greater  than  he  :  "  If  any  man  will- 
eth  to  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine." 

It  is  clear  that  the  strength  of  Buddhism  lies  not  in  its 
philosoph}?-  or  theology,  but  in  its  code  of  morals.  To  its 
system  of  rightness  rigidly  practiced  by  its  founder,  it  owes 
its  vitality.  If  the  presentation  of  a  system  of  morality 
could  save,  then  long  since  India,  Burmah,  Ceylon,  Siam, 
Thibet,  and  China  ought  to  have  become  an  earthly  para- 
dise. Besides  the  virtues  ordinarily  recognized  in  heathen 
codes,  Buddhism  teaches  meekness  and  forbearance.  The 
pious  Buddhist,  when  struck  a  violent  blow,  can  meekly 
reflect  that  it  is  in  consequence  of  some  sin  that  he  has 
committed  in  a  previous  state  of  existence.  This  is  a  sys- 
tem that  teaches  us  to  love  our  fellow-men  tenderly  and 
perseveringly.  "As  even  at  the  risk  of  her  own  life  a  mother 
watches  over  her  own  child,  her  only  child,  so  let  him — the 
Buddhist  saint — exert  good-will  without  measure  towards 
all  beings."  It  even  teaches  resignation  in  sorrow,  I 
give  the  following  beautiful  story  as  it  is  told  by  T.  W. 
Rhys  Davids  : 

"  Buddha  is  said  to  have  brought  back  to  her  right  mind  a  young 
mother  whom  sorrow  had  for  a  time  deprived  of  reason.  Her  name  was 
Kisagotami,  She  had  been  married  early,  as  is  the  custom  in  the  East, 
and  had  a  child  when  she  was  still  a  girl.  When  the  beautiful  boy  could 
run  alone,  he  died.  The  young  girl,  in  her  love  for  it,  carried  the  dead 
child  clasped  in  her  bosom,  and  went  from  house  to  house  of  her  pitying 
friends,  asking  them  to  give  her  medicine  for  it.  But  a  Buddhist,  think- 
ing, '  She  does  not  understand,'  said  to  her,  '  My  good  girl,  I  myself  have 


72  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  yUDSON. 

no  such  medicine  as  you  ask  for,  but  I  think  I  know  of  one  who  has.' 
'  Oh,  tell  me  who  that  is,'  said  Kisagotami.  '  The  Buddha  can  give  you 
medicine  ;  go  to  him,'  was  the  answer. 

"  She  went  to  Gaudama,  and,  doing  homage  to  him,  said  :  '  Lord  and 
master,  do  you  know  any  medicine  that  will  be  good  for  my  child  ? ' 
'  Yes,  I  know  of  some,'  said  the  teacher.  Now  it  was  the  custom  for 
patients  or  their  friends  to  provide  the  herbs  which  the  doctors  required  ; 
so  she  asked  what  herbs  he  would  want.  '  I  want  some  mustard  seed,' 
he  said  ;  and  when  the  poor  girl  eagerly  promised  to  bring  some  of  so 
common  a  drug,  he  added  :  '  You  must  get  it  from  some  home  where  no 
son,  or  husband,  or  parent,  or  slave  has  died.'  '  Very  good,'  she  said  ; 
and  went  to  seek  for  it,  still  carrying  her  dead  child  with  her.  The  peo- 
ple said,  'Here  is  mustard  seed,  take  it ';  but  when  she  asked,  '  In  my 
friend's  house  has  any  son  died,  or  a  husband,  or  a  parent,  or  a  slave  } ' 
they  answer,  '  Lady,  what  is  this  that  you  say  ?  The  living.are  few,  but 
the  dead  are  many.'  Then  she  went  to  other  houses,  but  one  said,  '  I 
have  lost  a  son ';  another,  •  We  have  lost  our  parents ';  another,  '  I 
hav^e  lost  my  slave.'  At  last,  not  being  able  to  find  a  single  house  where 
no  one  had  died,  her  mind  began  to  clear,  and  summoningup  resolution 
she  left  the  dead  body  of  her  child  in  a  forest,  and  returning  to  the 
Buddha,  paid  him  homage.  He  said  to  her,  '  Have  you  the  mustard 
seed  ? '  '  My  Lord,'  she  replied,  '  I  have  not ;  the  people  tell  me  that 
the  living  are  few,  but  the  dead  are  many.'  Then  he  talked  to  her  on 
that  essential  part  of  his  system,  the  impermanency  of  all  things,  till  her 
doubts  were  cleared  away  ;  she  accepted  her  lot,  became  a  disciple,  and 
entered  '  the  first  path.'  " 

But,  after  all,  Buddhism,  with  its  exquisite  code  of  morals, 
has  never  succeeded  in  cleansing  the  Augean  stables  of  the 
human  heart.  It  is  a  religion  without  God,  or  prayer,  or 
pardon,  or  heaven.  Its  laws  lack  the  authority  of  a  Law- 
giver. Its  Nirvana  is  a  cheerless  and  uninviting  prospect. 
It  is  a  system  of  despair.  The  spirits  are  weighed  down  by 
the  vast  load  of  demerits,  and  haunted  by  the  anticipation 
of  endless  ages  of  misery.  There  is  no  "  pity  sitting  in  the 
clouds."  There  is  no  way  of  forgiveness,  no  sense  of  Divine 
presence  and  sympathy.  Under  such  a  system  of  cold  ab- 
stractions, it  is  not  strange  that  the  common  people  should 
distort  the  conception  of  Nirvana  into  an  earthly  paradise, 
and  fly  for  refuge  even  into  demon-worship,  and  other  forms 
of  Shamanism. 


BURMAH. 


73 


In  Edwin  Arnold's  beautiful  poem  this  religion  has  been 
presented  in  a  most  burnished  and  fascinating  form,  but  no 
one  whose  mind  is  not  filled  with  misconceptions  of  Chris- 
tianity, would  think  for  a  moment  of  exchanging  the  "  Light 
of  the  World  "  for  the  ''  Light  of  Asia."  * 

\w  the  Missionary  Magazine  of  1818  Mrs.  Judson  writes: 

"  Let  those  who  plead  the  native  innocence  and  purity  of 
heathen  nations  visit  Burmah  !  The  system  of  religion  here 
has  no  power  over  the  heart  or  restraint  on  the  passions. 
Though  it  forbids,  on  pain  of  many  years'  suffering  in  hell, 
theft  and  falsehood,  yet,  I  presume  to  say,  there  is  not  a  sin- 
gle Burman  in  the  country,  who,  if  he  had  a  good  opportu- 
nity, without  danger  of  detection,  would  hesitate  to  do  either. 
Though  the  religion  inculcates  benevolence,  tenderness,  for- 
giveness of  injuries,  and  love  of  enemies — though  it  forbids 
sensuality,  love  of  pleasure,  and  attachment  to  worldly  ob- 
jects— yet  it  is  destitute  of  power  to  produce  the  former,  or 
to  subdue  the  latter,  in  its  votaries.  In  short,  the  Burman 
system  of  religion  is  like  an  alabaster  image,  perfect  and 
beautiful  in  all  its  parts,  but  destitute  of  life.  Besides  being 
destitute  of  life,  it  provides  no  atonement  for  sin.  Here  also 
the  Gospel  triumphs  over  this  and  every  other  religion  in  the 
world." 


*  The  reader  may  be  interested  to  see  what  weapons  Mr.  Judson  used  in  assailing 
the  hoary  system  of  Buddhism,  and  is  therefore  referred  to  Appendix  B. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LIFE    IN    RANGOON. 

1813-1819. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson,  as  has  already  been  stated,  ar- 
rived in  Rangoon  June  13,  1813.  For  almost  a  year  and  a 
half  since  leaving  their  native  land,  they  had  been  seeking 
a  home  on  heathen  shores.  Having  reached  Calcutta,  they 
had  been  forced  by  the  oppressive  policy  of  the  East  India 
Company  to  take  refuge  upon  the  Isle  of  France.  They 
returned  again  to  India  and  landed  at  Madras.  But  they 
were  compelled  to  flee  a  second  time,  and  having  reluctant- 
ly relinquished  the  strong  protection  of  the  British  flag, 
had,  at  last,  settled  down  in  Rangoon,  the  chief  seaport  of 
the  Burman  Empire.  Their  own  desires  and  hopes  had 
pointed  elsewhere  ;  and  it  was  "  with  wandering  steps  and 
slow  "  that  they  had  come  to  this  destination.  God  had 
drawn  around  them  the  relentless  toils  of  His  providence, 
and  had  hemmed  them  in  to  this  one  opening.  But  sub- 
sequent history  has  proved  that  the  hand  which  led  them 
so  strangely  and  sternly,  was  the  hand  that  never  errs. 
American  Christians,  in  their  assault  upon  Asiatic  heathen- 
ism, could  never  have  chosen  such  a  strategic  position  as 
Rangoon.  It  is  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  great 
Irrawaddy  River,  which  is  thus  described  by  an  English 
officer : 

"  After  draining  the  great  plain  of  upper  Burmah,  it  enters  a  narrow 
valley  lying  between  the  spurs  of  the  Arracan  and  Pegu  ranges,  and  ex- 
tending below  the  city  of  Prome.  Thus  the  mighty  stream  rolls  on  through 
(74) 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


75 


the  widening  bay,  until  about  ninety  miles  from  the  sea,  it  bifurcates  ; 
one  branch  flows  to  the  westward  and  forms  the  Bassein  River,  while  the 
main  channel  of  the  lower  part  of  the  Delta  subdivides  and  finally  enters 
the  sea  by  ten  mouths.  It  is  navigable  for  river  steamers  for  840  miles 
from  the  sea,  but  it  is  during  the  rainy  season  (Monsoon)  that  it  is  seen 
in  its  full  grandeur.  The  stream  then  rises  forty  feet  above  its  summer 
level,  and  flooding  the  banks  presents  in  some  places,  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach,  a  boundless  expanse  of  turbid  waters,  the  main  channel  ot 
which  rushes  along  with  a  velocity  of  five  miles  an  hour." 

The  two  natural  outlets  for  the  commerce  of  Western 
China  are  this  great  river,  and  the  Yang-tse-kiang,  which 
takes  its  rise  in  Thibet,  and  following  an  easterly  course  of 
nearly  three  thousand  miles,  empties  itself  into  the  Yellow 
Sea.  Along  this  channel  a  vast  tide  of  commerce  has  flowed 
from  time  immemorial,  and  depositing  upon  the  river-banks 
its  rich  sediment  of  wealth  and  population,  has  occasioned 
the  growth  of  Shanghai,  Nanking,  and  other  enormous 
cities.  But  the  merchandise  of  Western  and  Central  Cl;iina 
would  find  a  shorter  and  easier  and  cheaper  path  to  the 
sea  through  the  valley  of  the  Irrawaddy,  and  would  long 
ago  have  pursued  that  course,  had  it  not  been  impeded  and 
endangered  by  rude  mountain  tribes  which  the  Govern- 
ments of  Burmah  and  of  China  have  not  as  yet  been  vigor- 
ous enough  to  reduce  to  harmlessness.  As  civilization  ad- 
vances, a  much  larger  part  of  the  trade  of  Central  Asia  will 
be  sure  to  find  its  way  to  the  sea  through  the  valley  of  the 
Irrawaddy.  Christianity  always  enters  the  heart  of  a  nation 
along  the  lines  of  trade ;  so  that  Rangoon,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Irrawaddy,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  landed,  and 
Bhamo,  situated  at  the  head  of  navigation,  840  miles  up 
the  river,  where  the  American  Baptists  have  recently  planted 
a  mission,  are  two  of  the  most  important  strategical  points 
for  the  conquest  of  all  Asia.* 

Rangoon  is  described  by  an  English  traveller  who  passed 
through  it  about  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Judsons,  as 


*  I  am  indebted  for  some  of  these  facts  to  a  thoughtful  and  inspiring  article  by  the 
Rev.  A.  Bunker,  in  The  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  March,  1879. 


76  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"A  miserable,  dirty  town,  containing  8,000  or  10,000  inhabitants,  the 
houses  being  built  with  bamboo  and  teak  planks,  with  thatched  roots — • 
almost  without  drainage,  and  intersected  by  muddy  creeks,  through 
which  the  tide  flowed  at  high  water.  It  had  altogether  a  mean,  unin- 
viting appearance,  but  it  was  the  city  of  government  of  an  extensive 
province  ruled  over  by  a  viceroy,  a  woongee  of  the  empire,  in  high 
favor  at  the  court." 

Some  of  the  first  impressions  which  the  country  made  on 
the  Judsons  may  be  learned  from  their  journals  and  letters. 

Mrs.  yudso7i's  Journal. 

"  September  20.  This  is  the  first  Sabbath  that  we  have 
united  in  commemorating  the  dying  love  of  Christ  at  His 
table.  Though  but  two  in  number,  we  feel  the  command  as 
binding,  and  the  privilege  as  great,  as  if  there  were  more,  and 
we  have  indeed  found  it  refreshing  to  our  souls. 

^^  December  11.  To-day,  for  the  first  time,  I  have  visited 
the  wife  of  the  viceroy.  I  was  introduced  to  her  by  a  French 
lady,  who  has  frequently  visited  her.  When  we  first  arrived 
at  the  Government  house  she  was  not  up  ;  consequently  we 
had  to  wait  some  time.  But  the  inferior  wives  of  the  viceroy 
diverted  us  much  by  their  curiosity  in  minutely  examining 
everything  we  had  on,  and  by  trying  on  our  gloves,  bonnets, 
etc.  At  last  her  highness  made  her  appearance,  dressed 
richly  in  the  Burman  fashion,  with  a  long  silver  pipe  at  her 
mouth,  smoking.  At  her  appearance,  all  the  other  wives  took 
their  seats  at  a  respectful  distance,  and  sat  in  a  crouching 
posture,  without  speaking.  She  received  me  very  politely, 
took  me  by  the  hand,  seated  me  upon  a  mat,  and  herself  by 
me.  She  excused  herself  for  not  coming  in  sooner,  saying 
she  was  unwell.  One  of  the  women  brought  her  a  bunch  of 
flowers,  of  which  she  took  several,  and  ornamented  her  cap. 
She  was  very  inquisitive  whether  I  had  a  husband  and  chil 
dren  ;  whether  I  was  my  husband's  first  wife — meaning  by 
this,  whether  I  was  the  highest  among  them,  supposing  that 
my  husband,  like  the  Burmans,  had  many  wives  ;  and  whether 
I  intended  tarrying  long  in  the  country.  When  the  viceroy 
came  in,  I  really  trembled,  for  I  never  before  beheld  such  a 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  77 

savage-looking  creature.  His  long  robe  and  enormous  spear 
not  a  little  increased  my  dread.  He  spoke  to  me,  however, 
very  condescendingly,  and  asked  if  I  would  drink  some  rum 
or  wine.  When  I  arose  to  go,  her  highness  again  took  my 
hand,  told  me  she  was  happy  to  see  me  ;  that  I  must  come  to 
see  her  every  day,  for  I  was  like  a  sister  to  her.  She  led  me 
to  the  door,  and  I  made  my  salaam,  and  departed.  My  only 
object  in  visiting  her  was,  that,  if  we  should  get  into  any  dif- 
ficulty with  the  Burmans,  I  could  have  access  to  her,  when 
perhaps  it  would  not  be  possible  for  Mr.  Judson  to  get  access 
to  the  viceroy.  One  can  obtain  almost  any  favor  from  her  by 
making  a  small  present.  We  intend  to  have  as  little  to  do 
with  Government  people  as  possible,  as  our  usefulness  will 
probably  be  among  the  common  people.  Mr.  Judson  lately 
visited  the  viceroy,  when  he  scarcely  deigned  to  look  at  him, 
as  English  men  are  no  uncommon  sight  in  this  country  ;  but 
an  English  female  is  quite  a  curiosity." 

Mr.  Judso7t  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  E?!tersoft. 

"  Rangoon,  January  7,  1S14. 
"  It  is  nearly  a  year  since  I  wrote  to  America,  my  last  being 
forwarded  by  brother  Rice.  I  have  had  no  opportunity  of 
conveyance  since  that  time,  nor  have  I  any  at  present.  I  in- 
tend to  send  this  to  England,  hoping  that  on  its  arrival  the 
war  may  have  terminated,  or  that  it  may  find  a  conveyance 
in  a  dispatch  vessel.  We  have  been  here  about  six  months  ; 
have  been  living  in  the  mission-house,  with  brother  F.  Carey's 
family,  but  expect  within  a  few  days  to  take  a  house  within 
the  walls  of  the  town  on  account  of  the  bands  of  robbers 
which  infest  all  the  country,  and  which  have  lately  been  very 
numerous  and  daring.  Our  situation  is  much  more  comfort- 
able than  we  expected  it  would  be  in  such  a  country.  We 
enjoy  good  health,  and  though  deprived  of  all  congenial 
Christian  society,  we  are  very  happy  in  each  other,  and  think 
we  frequently  enjoy  His  presence  whose  smile  can  turn  the 
darkest  night  to  day,  and  whose  favor  is  the  fountain  of  all 
happiness.  '  Peace  I  leave  with  you — my  peace  I  give  unto 
you.'  There  has  yet  been  but  very  little  effected  in  this 
country  to  any  real  missionary  purpose.     Brother  Carey's 


78  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

time  is  greatly  occupied  in  Government  matters.  The  em- 
peror has  given  him  a  title,  and  requires  him  to  reside  in  the 
capital.  He  is  just  now  going  to  Bengal  on  his  majesty's  busi- 
ness, and  expects,  after  his  return,  to  reside  at  Ava.  Not  a 
single  Burman  has  yet  been  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  or  even  to  serious  inquiry.  In  all  the  affairs  of  this 
Government,  despotism  and  rapine  are  the  order  of  the  day- 
The  present  viceroy  of  this  province  is  a  savage  man.  Life 
and  death  depend  on  his  nod.  He  is  very  large  in  stature, 
and  when  he  stalks  about  with  his  long  spear,  everybody 
shrinks  from  before  him.  I  called  on  him  once,  but  he 
scarcely  looked  at  me,  Ann  waited  on  her  highness,  and 
was  much  better  received.  This  man  is  about  to  be  recalled 
to  Ava,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  will  return.  During 
the  interim  we  expect  all  things  will  be  in  confusion,  and 
this  is  one  reason  why  we  desire  to  get  within  the  walls  of 
the  city. 

"My  only  object  at  present  is  to  prosecute,  in  a  still,  quiet 
manner,  the  study  of  the  language,  trusting  that  for  all  the 
future  '  God  will  provide.'  We  have  this  consolation,  that  it 
was  the  evident  dispensation  of  God  which  brought  us  to  this 
country  ;  and  still  further,  that  if  the  world  was  all  before  us, 
where  to  choose  our  place  of  rest,  we  should  not  desire  to 
leave  Burmah.  Our  chief  anxiety  is  that  brother  Rice  may 
not  be  able  to  join  us  again  ;  but  even  this  we  desire  to  leave 
in  His  hands  who  doeth  all  things  well." 

From  Mrs.  yudso?t  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Newell . 

"  Rangoon,  Afril  23,  1814. 
"My  dear  Brother  Newell  : 

"  A  few  days  since  we  received  yours  of  December  i8th,  the 
only  one  we  have  ever  received  since  you  left  us  at  Port 
Louis.  It  brought  fresh  to  my  mind  a  recollection  of  scenes 
formerly  enjoyed  in  our  dear  native  country.  Well  do  I  re- 
member our  first  interesting  conversations  on  missions  and 
on  the  probable  events  which  awaited  us  in  India.  Well  do 
I  remember  the  dear  parental  habitation  where  you  were 
pleased  to  favor  me  with  your  confidence  relative  to  a  com- 
panion for  life.     And  well  do  I  remember  the  time  when  I 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


79 


first  carried  your  message  to  the  mother  of  our  dear  Harriet, 
when  the  excellent  woman  exclaimed  with  tears  in  her  eyes, 
*  I  dare  not,  I  can  not  speak  against  it.'  Those  were  happy 
days.  Newell  and  Judson,  Harriet  and  Nancy,  then  were 
united  in  the  strictest  friendship,  then  anticipated  spending 
their  lives  together  in  sharing  the  trials  and  toils,  the  pleas- 
ures and  enjoyments,  of  a  missionary  life.  But,  alas  !  be- 
hold us  now  !  In  the  Isle  of  France,  solitary  and  alone,  lies 
all  that  was  once  visible  of  the  lovely  Harriet.  A  melancholy 
wanderer  on  the  Isl^  of  Ceylon  is  our  brother  Newell,  and 
the  savage,  heathen  empire  of  Burmah  is  destined  to  be  the 
future  residence  of  Judson  and  Nancy.  But  is  this  separa- 
tion to  be  forever?  Shall  we  four  never  again  enjoy  social, 
happy  intercourse  ?  No,  my  dear  brother,  our  separation  is 
of  short  duration.  There  is  a  rest — a  peaceful,  happy  rest, 
where  Jesus  reigns,  where  we  four  soon  shall  meet  to  part 
no  more.  Forgive  my  gloomy  feelings,  or  rather  forgive  my 
communicating  them  to  you,  whose  memory,  no  doubt,  is 
ever  ready  to  furnish  more  than  enough  for  your  peace. 

"  As  Mr.  Judson  will  not  have  time  to  write  you  by  this  op- 
portunity, I  will  endeavor  to  give  you  some  idea  of  our  situ- 
ation here,  and  of  our  plans  and  prospects.  We  have  found 
the  country,  as  we  expected,  in  a  most  deplorable  state,  full 
of  darkness,  idolatry,  and  cruelty — full  of  commotion  and 
uncertainty.  We  daily  feel  that  the  existence  and  perpetuity 
of  this  mission,  still  in  an  infant  state,  depend  in  a  peculiar 
manner  on  the  interposing  hand  of  Providence  ;  and  from 
this  impression  alone  we  are  encouraged  still  to  remain.  As 
it  respects  our  temporal  privations,  use  has  made  them 
familiar,  and  easy  to  be  borne  ;  they  are  of  short  duration, 
and  when  brought  in  competition  with  the  worth  of  immor- 
tal souls,  sink  into  nothing.  We  have  no  society,  no  dear 
Christian  friends,  and  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  sea 
captains,  who  now  and  then  call  on  us,  we  never  see  a  Eu- 
ropean face.  But  then,  we  are  still  happy  in  each  other  ; 
still  find  that'our  own  hom.e  is  our  best,  our  dearest  friend. 
When  we  feel  a  disposition  to  sigh  for  the  enjoyments  of  our 
native  country,  we  turn  our  eyes  on  the  miserable  objects 


8o  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAAI  JUDSON. 

around.  We  behold  some  of  them  laboring  hard  for  a  scanty 
subsistence,  oppressed  by  an  avaricious  Government,  which 
is  ever  ready  to  seize  what  industry  had  hardly  earned  ;  we 
behold  others  sick  and  diseased,  daily  begging  the  few 
grains  of  rice  which,  when  obtained,  are  scarcely  sufficient 
to  protract  their  wretched  existence,  and  with  no  other  habi- 
tation to  screen  them  from  the  burning  sun,  or  chilly  rains, 
than  what  a  small  piece  of  cloth  raised  on  four  bamboos  un- 
der a  tree  can  afford.  While  we  behold  these  scenes,  we  feel 
that  we  have  all  the  comforts,  and,  in  comparison,  even  the 
luxuries,  of  life.  We  feel  that  our  temporal  cup  of  blessings 
is  full,  and  runneth  over.  But  is  our  temporal  lot  so  much 
superior  to  theirs  ?  Oh,  how  infinitely  superior  our  spiritual 
blessings  !  While  they  vainly  imagine  to  purchase  promo- 
tion in  another  state  of  existence  by  strictly  worshipping 
their  idols  and  building  pagodas,  our  hopes  of  future  happi- 
ness are  fixed  on  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world.  When  we  have  a  realizing  sense  of  these 
things,  my  dear  brother,  we  forget  our  native  country  and 
former  enjoyments,  feel  contented  and  happy  with  our  lot, 
with  but  one  wish  remaining — that  of  being  instrumental  in 
leading  these  Burmans  to  partake  of  the  same  source  of 
happiness  with  ourselves. 

"  Respecting  our  plans,  we  have  at  present  but  one — that 
of  applying  ourselves  closely  to  the  acquirement  of  the  lan- 
guage, and  to  have  as  little  to  do  with  Government  as  possi- 
ble. Brother  Carey  has  never  yet  preached  in  Burman,  but 
has  made  considerable  progress  toward  the  completion  of  a 
grammar  and  dictionary,  which  are  a  great  help  to  us.  At 
present,  however,  his  time  is  entirely  taken  up  with  Govern- 
ment affairs.  It  is  now  almost  a  year  since  he  was  ordered 
up  to  Ava,  which  time  has  been  wholly  occupied  in  the  king's 
business.  He  has  just  returned  from  Bengal,  and  is  now 
making  preparations  for  Ava,  where  he  expects  to  found  a 
new  mission  station.  His  family  go  with  him  ;  consequently 
we  shall  be  alone  until  the  arrival  of  brother"  Rice,  who,  we 
hope,  will  arrive  in  six  or  seven  months. 

"  Our  progress  in  the  language  is  slow,  as  it  is  peculiarly 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  8 1 

hard  of  acquisition.  We  can,  however,  read,  write,  and  con- 
verse with  tolerable  ease,  and  frequently  spend  whole  even- 
ings very  pleasantly  in  conversing  with  aur  Burman  friends. 
We  have  been  very  fortunate  in  procuring  good  teachers, 
Mr.  Judson's  teacher  is  a  very  learned  man,  was  formerly  a 
priest,  and  resided  at  court.  He  has  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  grammatical  construction  of  the  language,  likewise  of 
the  Pali,  the  learned  language  of  the  Burmans." 

It  may  be  well  to  consider  for  a  moment  the  task  which 
the  young  missionary  had  set  before  him.  What  did  they 
propose  to  do,  this  man  of  twenty-five  and  his  young  wife, 
standing  amid  the  level  rice  fields  on  the  coast  of  Lower 
Burmah,  with  their  faces  turned  landward  toward  towns 
and  cities  swarming  with  idolaters,  and  hill-tops  crowned 
with  heathen  temples  and  pagodas?  Their  purpose  was  to 
undermine  an  ancient  religion,  deeply  fixed  in  the  hearts 
and  habits  of  four  hundred  millions  of  human  beings.  They 
did  not  propose  to  bring  to  bear  influences  by  which  Chris- 
tianity was  to  be  introduced  as  a  State  religion  and  reluctant 
knees  be  forced  to  bow  to  the  Christ.  This  would  have  been 
indeed  an  audacious  undertaking.  But  they  sought  to  work 
out  a  more  searching  revolution,  nothing  less  than  a  change 
of  belief  and  of  heart  in  each  individual.  The  millions  of 
Burmans  were  to  be  taken  one  by  one — their  affections  sub- 
dued, and  their  characters  transfigured  by  the  religion  of 
Christ.  They  felt  sure  that  in  the  mass  of  people  about  them, 
there  was  here  and  there  a  man  who  had  been  so  schooled 
by  the  providences  of  God,  and  so  matured  by  the  Divine 
Spirit,  that  if  the  stor}^  of  the  Cross  could  once  be  got  to  him, 
he  would  immediately  accept  it  and  say,  "That  is  just  what 
I  want."  As  the  sod  of  moss,  brought  from  the  woods 
into  the  house,  often  contains  within  its  bosom  hidden 
germs,  and  after  a  season,  in  the  warmth  of  the  parlor, 
sends  forth  sweet,  unexpected  spring  flowers,  so  out  of  the 
unattractive  sod  of  heathenism,  under  the  genial  rays  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  might  emerge  disciples  of  Christ,  and  these 
6 


82  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

disciples,  organized  by  baptism  into  churches,  would,  by 
the  same  process  of  reaching  individual  souls,  little  by  little 
leaven  the  whole  of  the  empire. 

But  what  means  did  Mr.  Judson  use  in  his  endeavor  to 
bring  about  this  great  moral  and  spiritual  revolution  ? 
Simply  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The  sole  weapons  of  his  war- 
fare were  the  old-fashioned  truths,  the  existence  of  a  per- 
sonal and  beneficent  God,  the  fatal  sinfulness  of  man,  and  sal- 
vation by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  came  to  "  seek  and 
to  save  that  which  was  lost."  No  system  of  truth  could  be 
devised  more  diametrically  opposed  to  Buddhism,  which 
teaches  that  there  is  no  God  to  save,  no  soul  to  be  saved, 
and  no  sin  to  be  saved  from.  He  felt  sure  that  if  he  could 
only  plant  the  seeds  of  Christian  truth  in  the  soil  of  the 
Burman's  heart,  then,  under  the  mellowing  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  they  would  germinate  and  bring  forth  the  fruit 
of  meek  and  pure  behavior.  As  in  flushing  a  drain,  a  large 
body  of  pure  water  is  poured  through  the  whole  length  of 
it,  washing  out  every  impurity,  so  the  Gospel  of  Christ  is  a 
cleansing  tide,  which,  as  it  courses  through  the  individual 
heart,  or  through  human  society,  sweeps  away  before  it  all 
the  stagnant  and  loathsome  accumulations  of  sin. 

Mr.  Judson  did  not  believe  that  Christianity  should  follow 
in  the  wake  of  civilization.  He  did  not  propose  to  spend 
his  time  in  teaching  the  arts  and  sciences  of  the  Western 
world,  in  imparting  more  correct  astronomical,  geographi- 
cal, and  geological  conceptions,  in  order,  little  by  little,  to 
prepare  the  mind  of  the  Burman  to  accept  his  religious 
iders.  He  had  implicit  confidence  in  the  promise  of  his 
Master,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway."  He  believed  that 
Christ  was  with  him  in  the  heart  of  the  heathen,  unlocking 
the  door  from  the  inside. 

Again,  he  did  not  say  to  himself,  "  It  is  a  hopeless  task  to 
attempt  the  conversion  of  the  hoary  heads.  I  will  try  to 
gather  the  little  children  together  and  establish  schools,  and 
thus   purify   the   fountains  of  national  life."     He   had    his 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  83 

schools,  indeed,  but  they  were  quite  subordinate  to  the 
work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  adult  mind.  He  reached 
the  children  through  the  parents,  and  not  the  parents 
through  the  children.  He  believed  that  the  grown-up  Bur- 
mans,  rather  than  their  children,  should  bear  the  brunt  of 
persecution  involved  in  embracing  a  new  religion.  He  fol- 
lowed the  method  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  A  preacher 
of  the  Gospel,  he  did  not  allow  himself  to  shrivel  into  a  mere 
school-teacher  or  a  school-book  maker. 

There  were  only  two  channels  through  which  the  truths  of 
the  Gospel  could  be  conveyed  to  the  conscience  of  the  Bur- 
man — the  eyes  and  the  ears.  The  natives  were  emphatically 
a  reading  people.  They  had  their  ancient  scriptures  embody, 
ing  the  teachings  of  Gaudama,  and  the  first  question  asked 
of  the  propagator  of  a  new  religion  would  be,  "  Where  are 
your  sacred  books?  "  So  that  one  way  in  which  Mr.  Judson 
communicated  the  Gospel  was  by  the  translation  of  tracts — 
either  succinct  and  concrete  statements  of  Christian  truth,  or 
portions  of  the  Bible.  These  were  not  scattered  about  like 
autumn  leaves,  but  were  given  discriminatingly  to  individ- 
uals, the  gift  often  being  accompanied  by  a  solemn  injunc- 
tion to  read,  followed  by  a  fervent  prayer.  The  following 
letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Baldwin  shows  how  earnestly  he  en- 
gaged in  this  work  of  imparting  Christian  truth  in  a  printed 
form  : 

"  Rangoon,  February  10,  1817. 

"  Have  just  heard  that  a  person  whom  we  have  some  time 
calculated  on  as  a  letter-carrier  to  Bengal  is  unexpectedly 
going  off  in  the  course  of  an  hour.  Have,  therefore,  time 
only  to  accompany  the  enclosed  tracts  with  a  line  or  two. 

"We  have  just  begun  to  circulate  these  publications,  and 
are  praying  that  they  may  produce  some  inquiry  among  the 
natives.  And  here  comes  a  man,  this  moment,  to  talk  about 
religion.  What  shall  I  do  ?  I  will  give  him  a  tract,  to  keep 
him  occupied  a  few  moments  while  I  finish  this.  *  Here,  my 
friend,  sit  down,  and  read  something  that  will  carry  you  to 


$4  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

heaven  if  you  believe  and  receive  the  glorious  Saviour  therein 
exhibited.' 

"We  are  just  entering  on  a  small  edition  of  Matthew,  the 
translation  of  which  I  lately  commenced.  But  we  are  in 
great  want  of  men  and  money.  Our  hands  are  full  from 
morning  till  night.  I  can  not,  for  my  life,  translate  as  fast  as 
brother  Hough  will  print.  He  has  to  do  all  the  hard  work 
in  the  printing-office,  without  a  single  assistant,  and  can  not, 
therefore,  apply  himself  to  the  study  of  the  language,  as  is 
desirable.  As  for  me,  I  have  not  an  hour  to  converse  with 
the  natives,  or  go  out  and  make  proclamation  of  the  glorious 
Gospel.  In  regard  to  money,  we  have  drawn  more  from 
Bengal  than  has  been  remitted  from  America  ;  so  that  now, 
if  not  for  their  truly  brotherly  kindness  in  honoring  our  bills 
on  credit,  we  should  actually  starve.  Moreover,  an  edition 
of  five  thousand  of  the  New  Testament  will  cost  us  nearly 
five  thousand  dollars.  And  what  are  five  thousand  among  a 
population  of  seventeen  millions,  five  millions  of  whom  can 
read  ?  O  that  all  the  members  of  the  Baptist  Convention 
could  live  in  Rangoon  one  month  !  Will  the  Christian  world 
ever  awake  ?  Will  means  ever  be  used  adequate  to  the  neces- 
sities of  the  heathen  world  ?  O  Lord,  send  help  !  Our  wait- 
ing eyes  are  unto  Thee  !  " 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  attention  of  the  first 
serious  Burman  inquirer  was  caught  by  two  little  writings 
that  fell  into  his  hands,  a  tract  and  a  catechism.  The  Brit- 
ish and  Foreign  Bible  Society  publish  a  statement,  made 
upon  the  authority  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  that  he  met  "  with 
an  instance  which  was  carefully  investigated,  in  which  all  the 
inhabitants  of  a  remote  village  in  the  Deccan  had  abjured 
idolatry  and  caste,  removed  from  their  temples  the  idols 
which  had  been  worshipped  there  time  out  of  mind,  and 
agreed  to  profess  a  form  of  Christianity  which  they  had  de- 
duced for  themselves  from  the  careful  perusal  of  a  single 
Gospel  and  a  few  tracts."  And  the  eminent  African  mis- 
sionary, Moffat,  related  that  when  he  was  almost  perishing 
for  want  of  food,  he  was  succored  b)^  an  old  negro  woman 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  85 

whose  spiritual  life  had  been  fed  for  years  from  a  little  copy 
of  the  Dutch  New  Testament.  She  drew  it  from  her  bosom 
and  said :  '"  This  is  the  fountain  whence  I  drink ;  this  is  the 
oil  which  makes  my  lamp  to  burn." 

But  far  more  important  than  the  work  of  translating  and 
distributing  tracts,  catechisms,  and  portions  of  the  Scripture, 
was  the  oral  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  For  this  Mr,  Judson 
had  rare  aptitude,  and  in  it  he  won  his  most  signal  triumphs. 
While  engaged  in  the  necessary  work  of  translation,  he  was 
always  pining  for  the  opportunity  of  imparting  the  message 
of  salvation  with  the  living  voice.  In  a  letter  to  Dr.  Bolles 
he  says  :  "  I  long  to  see  the  whole  New  Testament  complete, 
for  I  will  then  be  able  to  devote  all  my  time  to  preaching 
the  Gospel  from  day  to  day ;  and  often  now  the  latter  ap- 
pears to  be  the  more  pressing  duty.  May  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  be  poured  out !  "  When  eye  meets  eye,  and  the  mind 
of  an  objector  is  confronted  by  a  living,  loving  personality, 
he  receives  a  deeper  impression  of  religious  truth  than  he 
can  ever  get  even  from  the  leisurely  perusal  of  a  printed 
book.  The  press  can  never  supplant  the  pulpit.  The  truth, 
which,  when  pressed  home  by  the  earnest  voice  of  the 
speaker,  carries  with  it  conviction,  and  arouses  the  con- 
science, and  kindles  the  affections,  is  often  weak  and  thin 
when  presented  on  the  printed  page. 

But  Mr.  Judson's  preaching  was  unlike  that  of  the  orator 
about  whom  a  great  throng  gathers.  After  the  little  chapel, 
or  zayat,  was  built,  public  worship  indeed  was  held,  the 
audience  consisting  of  perhaps  a  hundred  persons.  But 
most  of  the  preaching  at  first  was  to  the  individual.  It  was 
a  process  of  spiritual  button-holing.  A  single  person  would 
enter  into  a  discussion  with  the  missionary,  while  a  few 
others  would  draw  near  to  witness  the  encounter.  It  was 
in  these  hand-to-hand  frays  that  Mr.  Judson  often  extorted 
exclamations  of  admiration  from  the  bystanders,  as  with 
his  keen  logic  he  hewed  his  opponent  to  pieces  as  Samuel 
did  Aeae. 


86  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

His  preaching  was  concrete.  He  did  not  deal  in  vague 
abstractions.  Truth  assumed,  in  his  mind,  statuesque  forms. 
His  conversation  abounded  in  images  and  illustrations  ;  and 
in  this  respect  he  resembled  the  great  Teacher,  whom  Eng- 
land's^ poet  laureate  thus  describes  : 

"  For  wisdom  dealt  with  mortal  powers. 
Where  truth  in  closest  words  shall  fail, 
When  truth  embodied  in  a  tale 
Shall  enter  in  at  lowly  doors." 

Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  contributes  a  reminiscence  of  his  vivid 
method  of  imparting  religious  truth  : 

"A  native  Christian  woman  told  me  that  she  was  at  one 
time  about  to  engage  in  something  which  Dr.  Judson  con- 
sidered not  conducive  to  her  spiritual  good.  He  sent  for  her, 
and  remonstrated  ;  but  she  would  not  give  up  her  darling 
project.  'Look  here!'  said  he,  eagerly  snatching  a  ruler 
from  the  table,  and  tracing  not  a  very  straight  line  on  the 
floor,  '  here  is  where  you  have  been  walking.  You  have  made 
a  crooked  track,  to  be  sure — out  of  the  path  half  of  the 
time  ;  but  then  you  have  kept  near  it,  and  not  taken  to  new 
roads,  and  you  have — not  so  much  as  you  might  have  done, 
mind,  but  still  to  a  certain  extent — grown  in  grace  ;  and 
now,  with  all  this  growth  upon  your  heart  and  head,  in  the 
maturity  of  your  years,  with  ripened  understanding  and  an 
every-day  deepening  sense  of  the  goodness  of  God,  here,' 
bringing  down  the  ruler  with  emphasis  to  indicate  a  cer- 
tain position,  ^  here  you  stajid.  You  know  where  this  path 
leads.  You  know  what  is  before  you — some  struggles,  some 
sorrows,  and  finally  eternal  life  and  a  crown  of  glory.  But 
to  the  left  branches  off  another  very  pleasant  road,  and 
along  the  air  floats,  rather  temptingly,  a  pretty  bubble.  You 
do  not  mean  to  leave  the  path  you  have  walked  in  fifteen 
years — fifteen  long  years — altogether  ;  you  only  want  to  step 
aside  and  catch  the  bubble,  and  think  you  will  come  back 
again  ;  but  you  never  will.  Woman,  think  !  Dare  you  de- 
liberately leave  this  strait  and  narrow  path,  drawn  by  the 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  87 

Saviour's  finger,  and  go  away  for  one  moment  into  that  of 
your  enemy  ?     Will  you  ?  will  you  ?  will  you  ? ' 

"  *  I  was  sobbing  so,'  said  the  woman,  '  that  I  could  not 
speak  a  word  ;  but  he  knew,  as  he  always  did,  what  I  meant ; 
for  he  knelt  down,  and  prayed  that  God  would  preserve  me 
in  my  determination.  I  have  made  a  great  many  crooked 
tracks  since,'  she  added,  tearfully,  *  but,  whenever  I  am 
unusually  tempted,  I  see  the  teacher  as  he  looked  that  day, 
bending  over  in  his  chair,  the  ruler  placed  on  the  floor  to 
represent  me,  his  finger  pointing  along  the  path  of  eternal 
life,  his  eye  looking  so  strangely  over  his  shoulder,  and  that 
terrible  "Will  you  ?"  coming  from  his  lips  as  though  it  was 
the  voice  of  God  ;  and  I  pray  just  as  Peter  did,  for  I  am 
frightened.'  " 

Behind  his  words,  when  he  preached,  lay  the  magnet  of  a 
great  character.  He  was  a  man  of  tender  sensibilities  and 
of  strong  affections.  There  was  no  mistaking  his  motives. 
He  had  come  a  long  distance  and  endured  great  hardships 
because  he  loved  the  Burmans.  Little  by  little  they  found 
this  out ;  and  the  power  of  a  preacher  is  in  direct  ratio  with 
Jiis  capacity  for  inspiring  confidence  and  affection.  Not  the 
truth  on  the  lips,  but  the  truth  incarnated  in  the  behavior, 
has  weight.  One  who  often  heard  him  preach  in  Burmese, 
though  she  was  at  that  time  only  slightly  acquainted  with 
the  language,  writes : 

"  He  preached  with  great  fervor  and  earnestness ;  but  besides  this, 
there  was  a  touching  simplicity  in  the  matter  and  language,  which  it  was 
long  before  I  could  appreciate.  His  figures,  which  I  understood  sooner, 
were  drawn  from  immediately  surrounding  objects.  Of  these,  in  accord- 
ance with  Eastern  taste,  he  made  great  use.  He  often  remarked  that 
Christ  was  the  model  preacher,  and  that  He  never  preached  great  ser- 
mons." 

A  missionary  thus  describes  the  impression  which  he 
received  from  hearing  Mr.  Judson  the  first  time : 

"  True,  he  preached  in  Burman  ;  but  though  I  did  not  know  the  mean- 
ing of  a  single  sentence  he  uttered,  still  my  attention  was  never  more 


88  THE  LIFE  OF  ADO.VIRAM  JUDSON. 

closely  riveted  in  any  sermon  I  have  ever  heard.  Were  I  to  fix  upon  any 
characteristic  of  the  preacher  which,  perhaps  more  than  any  other, 
rendered  his  discourse  interesting  and  impressive,  I  should  say  it  was 
earnestness  of  manner.  It  was  impossible  for  any  one  to  escape  the 
conviction  that  his  whole  soul  was  in  the  work.  Every  tone,  every  look, 
every  gesture  spoke  out  in  most  emphatic  language  to  tell  us  that  the 
man  was  in  earnest  to  make  us  believe  the  truths  that  he  uttered.  But 
what  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  interest  of  the  occasion  was  the 
appearance  of  the  assembly.  Every  hearer  sat  motionless,  every  eye 
was  immovably  fixed  upon  the  preacher,  and  every  countenance  seemed 
to  change  with  every  varied  expression  of  sentiment ;  now  beaming  forth 
joy,  as  though  some  joyous  news  from  the  other  world  had  just  reached 
them,  which  before  had  never  gladdened  their  hearts — now  depicting  a 
feeling  of  anxiety  as  though  their  mortal  all,  or  that  of  their  friends, 
were  at  stake  ;  and  next,  of  deep  solemnity,  as  though  standing  before 
their  final  judge  !  " 

Having  considered  the  stupendous  task  set  before  the 
young  missionary,  and  the  mctJiods  he  used,  let  us  look  at 
some  of  the  difficulties.  His  ardent  temperament  flung 
itself  against  the  hard  reef  of  Burman  conservatism.  Ori- 
ental slowness  to  accept  a  new  idea  proved  a  strong  obstacle 
at  the  outset.     He  writes  : 

"  The  Burmans  are  a  slow,  wary,  circumspect  race  ;  but 
their  pertinacity  in  maintaining  an  opinion  deliberately 
adopted,  will  bear,  I  imagine,  due  proportion  to  their  tardi- 
ness in  adopting  it.  This  trait  in  their  character  will  render 
missionary  operations  among  them  less  rapid  in  the  outset, 
but  more  effective  and  permanent  in  the  issue." 

Another  great  difficulty  at  the  beginning  was  learning 
the  language  without  grammar,  or  dictionary,  or  an  English- 
speaking  teacher.  How  hard  a  task  this  was,  may  be  learned 
from  his  letters. 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bolles. 

"  Rangoon,  January  i6,  iSi6. 

"Yours  of  March,  1815,  I  lately  received,  and  read  with  real 

satisfaction.     Neither  brother  Rice  nor  any  of  the  others  you 

mention  have  yet  been  heard  of  in  these  parts.     May  they 

not  be  far  distant.     Whenever  they  shall  arrive,  I  hope  to  be 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  89 

of  some  real  service  to  them  in  their  preparatory  studies,  and 
to  be  able  to  give  them,  in  a  short  time,  information  on  many 
points  which  it  has  cost  me  months  to  acquire.  I  just  now 
begin  to  see  my  way  forward  in  this  language,  and  hope  that 
two  or  three  years  more  will  make  it  somewhat  familiar  ;  but 
I  have  met  with  difficulties  that  I  had  no  idea  of  before  I 
entered  on  the  work.  For  a  European  or  American  to  ac- 
quire a  living  Oriental  language,  root  and  branch,  and  make  it 
his  own,  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  his  acquiring  a  cog- 
nate language  of  the  West,  or  any  of  the  dead  languages,  as 
they  are  studied  in  the  schools.  One  circumstance  may  serve 
to  illustrate  this.  I  once  had  occasion  to  devote  about  two 
months  to  the  study  of  the  French.  I  have  now  been  above 
two  years  engaged  on  the  Burman  ;  but  if  I  were  to  choose 
between  a  Burman  and  French  book  to  be  examined  in,  with- 
out previous  study,  I  should,  without  the  least  hesitation, 
choose  the  French.  When  we  take  up  a  Western  language, 
the  similarity  of  the  characters,  in  very  many  terms,  in  many 
modes  of  expression,  and  in  the  general  structure  of  sen- 
tences, its  being  in  fair  print  (a  circumstance  we  hardly 
think  of),  and  the  assistance  of  grammars,  dictionaries,  and 
instructors,  render  the  work  comparatively  easy.  But  when 
we  take  up  a  language  spoken  by  a  people  on  the  other  side 
of  the  earth,  whose  very  thoughts  run  in  channels  diverse 
from  ours,  and  whose  modes  of  expression  are  consequently 
all  new  and  uncouth  ;  when  we  find  the  letters  and  words 
all  totally  destitute  of  the  least  resemblance  to  any  language 
we  had  ever  met  with,  and  these  words  not  fairly  divided 
and  distinguished,  as  in  Western  writing,  by  breaks,  and 
points,  and  capitals,  but  run  together  in  one  continuous  line, 
a  sentence  or  paragraph  seeming  to  the  eye  but  one  long 
word  ;  when,  instead  of  clear  characters  on  paper,  we  find 
only  obscure  scratches  on  dried  palm  leaves  strung  together 
and  called  a  book  ;  when  we  have  no  dictionary,  and  no  in- 
terpreter to  explain  a  single  word,  and  must  get  something 
of  the  language  before  we  can  avail  ourselves  of  the  assist- 
ance of  a  native  teacher, — 

*  Hoc  opus,  hie  labor  est.' 


90  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  I  had  hoped,  before  I  came  here,  that  it  would  not  be  my 
lot  to  have  to  go  on  alone,  without  any  guide  in  an  unex- 
plored path,  especially  as  missionaries  had  been  here  before. 
But  Mr.  Chater  had  left  the  country,  and  Mr.  Carey  was 
with  me  but  very  little,  before  he  left  the  mission  and  the 
missionary  work  altogether. 

"  I  long  to  write  something  more  interesting  and  encour- 
aging to  the  friends  of  the  mission  ;  but  it  must  not  yet  be 
expected.  It  unavoidably  takes  several  years  to  acquire  such 
a  language,  in  order  to  converse  and  write  intelligibly  on  the 
great  truths  of  the  Gospel.  Dr.  Carey  once  told  me,  that 
after  he  had  been  some  years  in  Bengal,  and  thought  he  was 
doing  very  well  in  conversing  and  preaching  to  the  natives, 
they  (as  he  was  afterward  convinced)  knew  not  what  he  was 
about.  A  young  missionary  who  expects  to  pick  up  the  lan- 
guage in  a  year  or  two  wilj  probably  find  that  he  has  not 
counted  the  cost.  If  he  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a 
good  interpreter,  he  may  be  useful  by  that  means.  But  he 
will  find,  especially  if  he  is  in  a  new  place,  where  the  way  is 
not  prepared,  and  no  previous  ideas  communicated,  that  to 
qualify  himself  to  communicate  divine  truth  intelligibly  by 
his  own  voice  or  pen,  is  not  the  work  of  a  year.  However, 
notwithstanding  my  present  incompetency,  I  am  beginning 
to  translate  the  New  Testament,  being  extremely  anxious  to 
get  some  parts  of  Scripture,  at  least,  into  an  intelligible 
shape,  if  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  read,  as  occasion  offers, 
to  the  Burmans  I  meet  with. 

"My  paper  allows  me  to  add  nothing  more  but  to  beg 
your  prayers,  that  while  I  am  much  occupied  in  words  and 
phrases,  and  destitute  of  those  Gospel  privileges  you  so  rich- 
ly enjoy,  in  the  midst  of  your  dear  church  and  people,  I  may 
not  lose  the  life  of  religion  in  my  soul." 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Staughton. 

"  I  am  sometimes  a  little  dispirited,  when  I  reflect  that,  for 
two  or  three  years  past,  I  have  been  drilling  at  A,  B,  C,  and 
grammar.  But  I  consider  again  that  the  gift  of  tongues  is 
not  granted  in  these  times  ;  that  some  one  must  acquire  this 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  gi 

language  by  dint  of  application  ;  must  translate  the  Script- 
ures, and  must  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  people  in  their  own 
tongue,  or  how  can  they  be  saved  ?  My  views  of  the  mis- 
sionary object  are,  indeed,  different  from  what  they  were, 
when  I  was  first  set  on  fire  by  Buchanan's  *  Star  in  the  East,' 
six  years  ago.  But  it  does  not  always  happen  that  a  closer 
acquaintance  with  an  object  diminishes  our  attachment  and 
preference.  We  sometimes  discover  beauties,  as  well  as  de- 
formities, which  were  overlooked  on  a  superficial  view  ;  when 
some  attractions  lose  their  force,  others  more  permanent  are 
exerted  ;  and  when  the  glitter  in  which  novelty  invested  the 
object  has  passed  away,  more  substantial  excellencies  have 
room  to  disclose  their  influence  ;  and  so  it  has  been  with  me, 
I  hope,  in  regard  to  the  work  of  missions." 

The  following  extract  from  the  Calcutta  Review  of  De- 
cember, 1850,  will  show  how  completely  he  mastered  this 
difficult  language : 

"  Let  our  readers  dwell  for  a  moment  upon  the  difficulty,  in  their  own 
powerful  Saxon  tongue,  of  discoursing  upon  free  will,  predestination,  and 
many  other  such  .subjects,  and  then  endeavor  to  realize  to  themselves 
how  infinitely  more  difficult  the  attempt  must  be  in  a  language  of  mono- 
syllabic formation  and  structure  ;  its  very  polysyllables  being  the  rough- 
est possible  mosaic  of  monosyllables,  and  the  genius  and  construction  of 
the  tongue  such,  that  even  the  simple  language  of  the  Gospels — the  sen- 
tences of  which  are  in  general  so  remarkably  plain  and  free  from  compli- 
cation— is  beyond  its  flexibility,  the  simplest  sentences  in  the  Gospels  of 
Mark  or  John  having  to  be  chopped  up  and  decomposed,  in  order  to 
adapt  them  to  this  peculiar  language.  Let  our  readers  imagine,  if  they 
can,  the  wonderful  command  requisite  of  so  awkward  an  instrument,  in 
order  to  be  enabled  to  answer  an  Oo  Yan — '  How  are  sin  and  eternal 
misery  reconcilable  with  the  character  of  an  infinitely  holy,  wise,  and 
powerful  God  ? '  or  to  meet  the  subtleties  of  a  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  ar- 
guing on  his  fundamental  doctrine,  that  divine  wisdom,  not  concentrated 
in  any  existing  spirit,  or  embodied  in  any  form,  but  diffused  throughout 
the  universe,  and  paVtaken  in  different  degrees  by  various  intelligences, 
and  in  a  very  high  degree  by  the  Buddhs,  is  the  true  and  only  God.  Yet 
so  completely  was  Judson  master  of  this  very  difficult  tongue,  and  of  the 
modes  of  thought  of  its  people,  that  he  could,  by  his  replies  and  argu- 
ments, impart  to  an  Oo  Yan  intense  satisfaction,  and  a  joy  which  exhib 


92  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOISr. 

ited  itself  by  the  ebullitions  natural  to  a  susceptible  temperament ;  and. 
in  the  end,  could  force  a  subtle  Moung  Shwa-gnong  to  yield  to  the  skill 
of  a  foreign  disputant." 

But  the  chief  hindrance  to  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the 
Burmans  was  the  danger  of  persecution.  Mr.  Judson  found 
himself  in  the  dominions  of  a  monarch  upon  whose  slightest 
nod  depended  the  life  of  each  subject.  Every  convert  knew 
that  in  adopting  this  new  religion  he  was  encountering  the 
risk  of  confiscation  of  property,  imprisonment,  torture,  or 
death  in  its  most  shocking  form. 

But  in  spite  of  these  great  difficulties,  and  even  in  the 
face  of  the  fact  that  many  of  his  brethren  and  sisters  in  his 
own,  distant,  native  land  regarded  the  undertaking  as  hope- 
less, and  looked  upon  him  as  an  obstinate  and  chimerical 
fanatic,  he  never  for  a  moment  lost  hope.  He  felt  as  sure 
that  Burmah  would  be  converted  to  Christ  as  that  it  existed. 
He  was  buoyed  up  by  the  same  faith  that  caused  him  to 
answer  many  years  after,  when  he  was  asked  whether  he 
thought  the  prospects  bright  for  the  speedy  conversion  of 
the  heathen,  "  As  bright  as  the  promises  of  God."  And  in 
the  darkest  period  of  the  history  of  our  missions,  he  sounded 
the  bugle-call,  which  will  inspire  the  heart  of  the  Christian 
missionary  until  that  day  when  "  The  kingdoms  of  this 
world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  His 
Christ." 

To  the  Rev.  Luther  Rice. 

"  Rangoon,  August  3,  1816. 

"  I  have  completed  a  grammar  of  the  Burman  language, 
which  I  hope  will  be  useful  to  you  ;  also  a  tract,  which  I 
hope  to  get  printed  as  soon  as  Mr.  Hough  arrives. 

"  If  any  ask  what  success  I  meet  with  among  the  natives, 
tell  them  to  look  at  Otaheite,  where  the  missionaries  labored 
nearly  twenty  years,  and,  not  meeting  with  the  slightest  suc- 
cess, began  to  be  neglected  by  all  the  Christian  world,  and 
the  very  name  of  Otaheite  began  to  be  a  shame  to  the  cause 
of  missions  ;  and  now  the  blessing  begins  to  come.  Tell 
them   to  look  at  Bengal  also,  where  Dr.  Thomas  had  been 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  93 

laboring  seventeen  years  (that  is,  from  1783  to  1800)  before 
the  first  convert,  Krishna,  was  baptized.  When  a  few  con- 
verts are  once  made,  things  move  on  ;  but  it  requires  a 
much  longer  time  than  I  have  been  here  to  make  a  first  im- 
pression on  a  heathen  people.  If  they  ask  again,  What  pros- 
pect of  ultimate  success  is  there  ?  tell  them.  As  much  as  that 
there  is  an  almighty  and  faithful  God,  who  will  perform  His 
promises,  and  no  more.  If  this  does  not  satisfy  them,  beg 
them  to  let  me  stay  and  try  it,  and  to  let  you  come,  and  to 
give  us  our  bread  j  or,  if  they  are  unwilling  to  risk  their  bread 
on  such  a  forlorn  hope  as  has  nothing  but  the  Word  of  God 
to  sustain  it,  beg  of  them,  at  least,  not  to  prevent  others  from 
giving  us  bread  ;  and,  if  we  live  some  twenty  or  thirty  years, 
they  may  hear  from  us  again. 

"  This  climate  is  good — better  than  in  any  other  part  of 
the  East.  But  it  is  a  most  filthy,  wretched  place.  Mission- 
aries must  not  calculate  on  the  least  comfort,  but  what  they 
find  in  one  another  and  their  work.  However,  if  a  ship  was 
lying  in  the  river,  ready  to  convey  me  to  any  part  of  the 
world  I  should  choose,  and  that,  too,  with  the  entire  appro- 
bation of  all  my  Christian  friends,  I  would  prefer  dying  to 
embarking.  This  is  an  immense  field,  and,  since  the  Seram- 
pore  missionaries  have  left  it,  it  is  wholly  thrown  on  the 
hands  of  the  American  Baptists.  If  we  desert  it,  the  blood 
of  the  Burmans  will  be  required  of  us." 

Upon  arriving  in  Rangoon,  of  course  there  Avas  nothing 
for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  to  do  but  to  learn  the  Burmese 
language. 

"As  it  respects  ourselves,"  Mrs.  Judson  writes,  "we  are 
busily  employed  all  day  long.  I  can  assure  you  that  we  find 
much  pleasure  in  our  employment.  Could  you  look  into  a 
large,  open  room,  which  we  call  a  veranda,  you  would  see 
Mr.  Judson  bent  over  his  table,  covered  with  Burman  books, 
with  his  teacher  at  his  side,  a  venerable-looking  man  in  his 
sixtieth  year,  with  a  cloth  wrapped  round  his  middle,  and  a 
handkerchief  round  his  head.  They  talk  and  chatter  all  day 
long,  with  hardly  any  cessation. 


p4  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

"  My  mornings  are  busily  employed  in  giving  directions 
to  the  servants,  providing  food  for  the  family,  etc.  At  ten 
my  teacher  comes,  vi^hen,  were  you  present,  you  might  see 
me  in  an  inner  room,  at  one  side  of  my  study-table,  and  my 
teacher  the  other,  reading  Burman,  writing,  talking,  etc.  I 
have  many  more  interruptions  than  INIr.  Judson,  as  I  have  the 
entire  management  of  the  family.  This  I  took  upon  myself 
for  the  sake  of  Mr.  Judson's  attending  more  closely  to  the 
study  of  the  language  ;  yet  I  have  found,  by  a  year's  ex- 
perience, that  it  was  the  most  direct  way  I  could  have  taken 
to  acquire  the  language,  as  I  am  frequently  obliged  to  speak 
Burman  all  day.  I  can  talk  and  understand  others  better 
than  Mr.  Judson,  though  he  knows  more  about  the  nature 
and  construction  of  the  language." 

After  a  few  months  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jud?on  removed  from 
the  English  Baptist  mission-house  into  the  city  proper. 
The  mission-house  which  they  had  been  occupying  was  situ- 
ated half  a  mile  from  Rangoon,  near  the  place  of  public 
execution,  where  the  refuse  of  the  city  streets  was  thrown, 
and  not  far  from  the  place  where  the  dead  were  buried. 
While  outside  the  city  walls,  the  missionaries  were  exposed 
to  robbers  and  to  wild  beasts.  It  was  thought  best,  there- 
fore, to  move  into  the  city  itself,  especially  as  in  this  way 
they  would  be  brought  into  closer  contact  with  the  people. 

After  they  had  been  in  Rangoon  about  a  year  and  a  half, 
Mrs.  Judson's  health  began  to  break  down  under  the  effects 
of  the  climate.  They  had  no  physician  to  consult,  and  her 
symptoms  proving  dangerous,  she  was  obliged  to  sail  to 
Madras  to  secure  both  medical  advice  and  the  recuperation 
of  a  sea  voyage.  She  set  sail  on  January  25,  181 5,  and  after 
an  absence  of  nearly  three  months,  returned  with  her  health 
much  improved.  This  first  experience  of  long  separation 
was  ver>'  painful.     Mr.  Judson  writes  : 

''  There  is  not  an  individual  in  the  country  that  I  can  pray 
with,  and  not  a  single  soul  wuth  whom  I  can  have  the  least 
religious  communion.     I  keep  myself  as  busy  as  possible  all 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  95 

day  long,  from  sunrise  till  late  in  the  evening,  in  reading  Bur 
man,  and  conversing  with  the  natives.  I  have  been  here  a 
year  and  a  half,  and  so  extremely  difficult  is  the  language — 
perhaps  the  most  difficult  to  a  foreigner  of  any  on  the  face  of 
the  earth  next  to  the  Chinese — that  I  find  myself  very  inade- 
quate to  communicate  divine  truth  intelligibly.  I  have,  in 
some  instances,  been  so  happy  as  to  secure  the  attention,  and 
in  some  degree  to  interest  the  feelings,  of  those  who  heard 
me  ;  but  I  am  not  acquainted  with  a  single  instance  in  which 
any  permanent  impression  has  been  produced.  No  Burman 
has,  I  believe,  ever  felt  the  grace  of  God  ;  and  what  can  a 
solitary,  feeble  individual  or  two  expect  to  be  the  means  of 
effecting  in  such  a  land  as  this,  amid  the  triumphs  of  Satan, 
the  darkness  of  death  ?  The  Lord  is  all-powerful,  wise,  and 
good  ;  and  this  consideration  alone  always  affords  me  unfail- 
ing consolation  and  support." 

In  a  letter  to  her  parents,  sisters,  and  brother,  Mrs.  Judson 
gave  the  following  description  of  the  voyage  to  Madras  and 
her  return  to  Rangoon  : 

"I  embarked  for  Madras  to  procure  medical  assistance, 
and  hoping  a  change  of  air  would  conduce  to  the  restoration 
of  my  health.  I  was  obliged  to  leave  Mr.  Judson  here  alone, 
without  a  single  associate  to  animate  him  in  his  arduous 
work.  We  did  not  think  it  his  duty  for  him  to  leave  the  mis- 
sion if  I  could  possibly  go  alone.  But  though  I  was  sepa- 
rated from  him,  and  felt  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  was 
entirely  alone  in  this  wide  world,  yet  I  could  not  but  trace 
the  kind  dealings  of  God  in  inclining  every  one  with  whom  I 
had  any  concern  to  favor  and  assist  me  in  my  way.  The 
viceroy  gave  me  an  order  to  take  a  woman  with  me,  free 
from  expense,  a  thing  which  is  generally  attended  with  great 
difficulty,  owing  to  the  Burman  law  which  forbids  any  female 
to  leave  the  country.  We  went  to  him  ourselves  with  a  small 
present,  which  is  customary  when  a  favor  is  asked.  On  his 
seeing  it,  he  inquired  if  we  had  any  business  ;  and  on  Mr. 
Judson's  presenting  the  petition,  he  immediately  commanded 
his  writer  to  give  us  an  official  order,  without  causing  us  any 


g6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOKIRAM  JUDSON. 

expense  whatever.  The  captain  with  whom  I  went  refused 
any  pay  for  my  passage,  though  he  provided  every  necessary 
for  one  in  ill  health.  I  stayed  at  Madras  six  weeks,  and  re- 
sided at  Mr.  Loveless'  house,  where  I  received  every  atten- 
tion. When  about  to  leave  Madras,  I  sent  the  physician 
under  whose  care  I  had  been,  seventy  rupees,  which  he  im- 
mediately returned,  saying  he  was  happy  if  he  had  been 
serviceable  to  me.  After  an  absence  of  three  months  I  safely 
arrived  at  Rangoon,  where  I  found  Mr.  Judson  well,  and 
laboring  hard,  though  entirely  alone.  My  health  continued 
to  mend,  and  on  the  nth  of  September  I  was  made  the  happy 
mother  of  a  little  son.  I  had  no  physician  or  assistant  what- 
ever excepting  Mr.  Judson.  Since  the  birth  of  our  little  son 
my  health  has  been  much  better  than  for  two  years  before. 
I  feel  now  almost  in  a  new  state  of  existence.  Our  hands 
are  full,  and  though  our  prospects  in  regard  to  the  immediate 
conversion  of  the  Burmans  are  dark,  yet  our  trust  in  God  is 
strong,  and  our  hopes  animating," 

The  little  boy  to  whom  Mrs.  Judson  alludes  in  this  letter 
was  born  September  ii,  1815,  and  named  Roger  Williams, 
but  on  May  4,  18 16,  he  closed  his  brief  life  on  earth,  at  the 
age  of  seven  months  and  twenty-three  days. 

In  a  letter  dated  Rangoon,  May  7,  1816,  Mr.  Judson  con- 
veys the  sad  intelligence  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lawson,  missionary 
at  Serampore : 

*'  Our  little  comfort,  our  dear  little  Roger,  has  become  in- 
sensible to  our  parental  attentions  and  fond  caresses  ;  the 
light  of  his  mild  blue  eyes  is  quenched,  his  sweet  face  has 
become  cold  to  our  lips,  and  his  little  mind,  which,  to  a 
parent's  discernment  at  least,  discovered  peculiar  sensibility 
and  peculiar  sweetness  of  disposition,  has  deserted  its  infan- 
tile tenement  and  fled — oh,  where  ?  Into  what  strange  scenes 
is  it  introduced  ?  Who  supports  and  guides  its  trembling 
steps  across  the  dark  valley?  There  a  parent's  aid  could  not 
be  extended.  But  we  hope  it  had  a  more  affectionate  and 
abler  guide.     We  hope  that  Jesus  has  repaired  the  ruins  of 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


97 


the  fall  in  regard  to  all  little  children.  And  who  but  thinks 
their  departed  children  sweet  and  lovely  beyond  compare? 
Perhaps  I  am  a  novice  in  affliction.  Had  I  lost  a  wife,  I 
might  not  thus  lament  for  a  little  child  eight  months  old. 
Yet  nothing  but  such  a  scene  of  bereavement  and  anguish  as 
we  have  passed  through  can  teach  us  to  pity  others  in  like 
circumstances.  Nothing  but  experience  can  teach  us  what 
feelings  agonize  the  soul  of  a  parent  when  he  puts  his  face 
to  that  of  his  dear,  his  only  child,  to  ascertain  whether  there 
may  not  be  one  breath  more  ;  and  when  satisfied  of  the  truth, 
when  hope  expires  with  life,  he  tries  to  raise  the  bursting 
aspiration:  O  Lord,  receive  the  spirit ! 

"Our  little  Roger  died  last  Saturday  morning.  We  looked 
at  him  through  the  day,  and  on  the  approach  of  night  we 
laid  him  in  the  grave.  This  is  the  fourth  day,  and  we  just 
begin  to  think,  What  can  we  do  for  the  heathen  ?  But  yet  it 
seems  hard  to  forget  little  Roger  so  soon,  to  force  off  our 
thoughts  from  the  attractive,  painful  subject,  and  to  return 
to  our  usual  employments.  O  may  we  not  suffer  in  vain  ! 
May  this  bereavement  be  sanctified  to  our  souls  !  and  for 
this  I  hope  we  have  your  prayers. 

"  How  is  Mrs.  Lawson,  and  your  little  ones  ?  We  had  only 
one.  Might  not  this  have  been  spared  ?  It  was  almost  all 
our  comfort  and  our  amusement  in  this  dreary  place.  But, 
*  the  Lord  gave,'  etc." 

At  this  same  period  Mrs.  Judson  thus  opened  her  sorrow- 
ful heart  to  a  lady  in  Beverly,  Mass. : 

"  Rangoox,  May  lo,  iSi6. 

"The  sun  of  another  holy  Sabbath  has  arisen  upon  us,  and 
though  no  chime  of  bells  has  called  us  to  the  house  of  God, 
yet  we,  two  in  number,  have  bowed  the  knee  to  our  Father 
in  heaven,  have  invoked  His  holy  name,  have  offered  Him 
our  feeble  praise,  have  meditated  on  His  Sacred  Word,  and 
commemorated  the  dying  love  of  a  Saviour  to  a  perishing 
world.  Inestimable  privileges  !  Not  denied  even  in  a  land 
where  the  Prince  of  Darkness  reigns  ! 

"  Since  worship  I  have  stolen  away  to  a  much-loved  spot, 
7 


gS  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON: 

where  I  love  to  sit  and  pay  the  tribute  of  affection  to  my 
lost  darling  child.  It  is  a  little  enclosure  of  mango-trees,  in 
the  centre  of  which  is  erected  a  small  bamboo-house  on  a 
rising  spot  of  ground,  which  looks  down  on  the  new-made 
grave  of  an  infant  boy.  Here  I  now  sit ;  and  though  all 
nature  around  wears  a  most  romantic,  delightful  appearance, 
yet  my  heart  is  sad,  and  my  tears  frequently  stop  my  pen. 
You,  my  dear  Mrs.  Lovett,  who  are  a  mother,  may  guess  my 
feelings  ;  but  if  you  have  never  lost  a  first-born,  an  only  son, 
you  can  not  know  my  pain.  Had  you  even  buried  your  little 
boy,  you  are  in  a  Christian  country,  surrounded  by  friends 
and  relatives  who  could  soothe  your  anguish  and  direct  your 
attention  to  other  objects.  But  behold  us  solitary  and  alone, 
with  this  one  single  source  of  recreation  !  Yet  even  this  is 
denied  us  ;  this  must  be  removed,  to  show  us  that  we  need 
no  other  source  of  enjoyment  but  God  himself  !  Do  not 
think,  though  I  thus  write,  that  I  repine  at  the  dealings  of 
Providence,  or  would  wish  them  to  be  otherwise  than  they 
are.  No  ;  '  though  He  slay  me,  I  will  trust  in  Him,'  is  the 
language  I  would  adopt.  Though  I  say  with  the  prophet, 
'  Behold  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  my  sorrow,' 
yet  I  would  also  say  with  him,  *  It  is  of  the  Lord's  mercies 
that  we  are  not  consumed,  because  His  compassions  fail 
not.'" 

While  engaged  in  the  hard  task  of  learning  the  Burman 
language,  Mr.  Judson  caught  eagerly  at  every  opportunity 
of  imparting  Christian  truth.  We  give  his  record  of  a  con- 
versation with  his  teacher : 

^^ September  30,  1815.  Had  the  following  conversation  with 
my  teacher,  as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect  it.  This  man  has 
been  with  me  about  three  months,  and  is  the  most  sensible, 
learned,  and  candid  man  that  I  have  ever  found  among  the 
Burmans.     He  is  forty-seven  years  of  age,  and  his  name  is 

Oo  Oungmen.     I  began  by  saying,  Mr.  J is  dead.     Oo.  I 

have  heard  so.  J.  His  soul  is  lost,  I  think.  Oo.  Why  so  ? 
J.  He  was  not  a  disciple  of  Christ.     Oo.  How  do  you  know.-' 


LIFE  IN-  RANGOON. 


99 


that  ?  You  could  not  see  his  soul.  J.  How  do  you  know 
whether  the  root  of  that  mango-tree  is  good  ?  You  can  not 
see  it ;  but  you  can  judge  by  the  fruit  on  its  branches.  Thus 
I  know  that  Mr.  J.  was  not  a  disciple  of  Christ,  because  his 
words  and  actions  were  not  such  as  indicate  a  disciple.  Oo. 
And  so  all  who  are  not  disciples  of  Christ  are  lost  ?  J.  Yes, 
all,  whether  Burmans  or  foreigners.  Oo.  This  is  hard.  J. 
Yes,  it  is  hard  indeed  ;  otherwise  I  should  not  have  come  all 
this  way,  and  left  parents  and  all,  to  tell  you  of  Christ.  He 
seemed  to  feel  the  force  of  this,  and  after  stopping  a  little  he 
said.  How  is  it  that  the  disciples  of  Christ  are  so  fortunate 
above  all  men  ?  J.  Are  not  all  men  sinners,  and  deserving 
of  punishment  in  a  future  state  ?  Oo.  Yes,  all  must  suffer  in 
some  future  state  for  the  sins  they  commit.  The  punishment 
follows  the  crime  as  surely  as  the  wheel  of  the  cart  follows 
the  footsteps  of  the  ox.  J.  Now,  according  to  the  Burman 
system,  there  is  no  escape.  According  to  the  Christian  sys- 
tem, there  is.  Jesus  Christ  has  died  in  the  place  of  sinners — 
has  borne  their  sins  ;  and  now  those  who  believe  on  Him,  and 
become  His  disciples,  are  released  from  the  punishment  they 
deserve.  At  death,  they  are  received  into  heaven,  and  are 
happy  forever.  Oo.  That  I  will  never  believe.  My  mind  is 
very  stiff  on  this  one  point,  namely,  that  all  existence  involves 
in  itself  principles  of  misery  and  destruction.  The  whole 
universe  is  only  destruction  and  reproduction.  It  therefore 
becomes  a  wise  man  to  raise  his  desires  above  all  things  that 
exist,  and  aspire  to  nigban,  the  state  where  there  is  no 
existence.  J.  Teacher,  there  are  two  evil  futurities,  and  one 
good.  A  miserable  future  existence  is  evil,  and  annihilation, 
or  nigban,  is  an  evil,  a  fearful  evil.  A  happy  future  exist- 
ence is  alone  good.  Oo.  I  admit  that  is  best,  if  it  could  be 
perpetual  ;  but  it  can  not  be.  Whatever  is,  is  liable  to  change, 
and  misery,  and  destruction.  Nigban  is  the  only  permanent 
good,  and  that  good  has  been  attained  by  Gaudama,  the  last 
deity.  J.  If  there  be  no  eternal  being,  you  can  not  account 
for  anything.  Whence  this  world,  and  all  that  we  see  ? 
Oo.  Fate.  J.  Fate  !  The  cause  must  always  be  equal  to 
the  effect.    See,  I  raise  this  table.    See  also  that  ant  under  it 


100  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOy. 

Suppose  I  were  invisible,  would  a  wise  man  say  the  ant  raised 
it  ?  Now,  fate  is  not  even  an  ant.  Fate  is  a  word  ;  that  is 
all.  It  is  not  an  agent ;  not  a  thing.  What  is  fate  ?  Oo. 
The  fate  of  creatures  is  the  influence  which  their  good  or 
bad  deeds  have  on  their  future  existence.  /.  If  influence  be 
exerted,  there  must  be  an  exerter.  If  there  be  a  determina- 
tion, there  must  be  a  determiner.  Oo.  No,  there  is  no  deter- 
miner. There  can  not  be  an  eternal  being.  J.  Consider 
this  point.  It  is  a  main  point  of  true  Avisdom.  Whenever 
there  is  an  execution  of  a  purpose,  there  must  be  an  agent. 
Oo.  (After  a  little  thought.)  I  must  say  that  my  mind  is 
very  decided  and  hard,  and  unless  you  tell  me  something 
more  to  the  purpose,  I  shall  never  believe.  /.  Well,  teacher, 
I  wish  you  to  believe,  not  for  my  profit,  but  for  yours.  I 
daily  pray  the  true  God  to  give  you  light  that  you  may  be- 
lieve. Whether  you  will  ever  believe  in  this  world,  I  do  not 
know  ;  but  when  you  die,  I  know  you  will  believe  what  I 
now  say.  You  will  then  appear  before  the  God  that  you 
now  deny.  Oo.  I  don't  know  that.  /.  I  have  heard  that  one 
Burman,  many  years  ago,  embraced  the  Portuguese  religion, 
and  that  he  was  your  relation.  Oo.  He  was  a  brother  of  my 
grandfather,  J.  At  Ava,  or  here  ?  Oo.  At  Ava  he  became  a 
Portuguese  ;  afterwards  went  to  a  ship  country  with  a  ship- 
priest,  and  returned  to  Ava.  J.  I  have  heard  he  was  put  to 
death  for  his  religion.  Oo.  No,  he  was  imprisoned  and  tor- 
tured by  order  of  the  emperor.  At  last  he  escaped  from 
their  hands,  fled  to  Rangoon,  and  afterwards  to  Bengal, 
where  they  say  he  died.  /.  Did  any  of  his  family  join  him  ? 
Oo.  None  ;  all  forsook  him  ;  and  he  wandered  about,  de- 
spised and  rejected  by  all.  J.  Do  you  think  that  he  was  a 
decided  Christian,  and  had  got  a  new  mind  ?  Oo.  I  think 
so  ;  for  when  he  was  tortured  hard,  he  held  out.  /.  Did  he 
ever  talk  with  you  about  religion  ?  Oo.  Yes.  J.  Why  did 
5'^ou  not  listen  to  him  ?  Oo.  I  did  not  listen.  /.  Did  you 
ever  know  any  other  Burman  that  changed  his  own  for  a 
foreign  religion  ?  Oo.  I  have  heard  that  there  is  one  now  in 
Rangoon,  who  became  a  Portuguese  ;  but  he  keeps  himself 
concealed,  and  I  have  never  seen  him." 


LIFE  IN  RA NGOON.  I o  i 

After  almost  three  years  of  the  closest  application  to 
study,  Mr.  Judson  was  taken  ill.     He  wrote  to  Dr.  Baldwin  : 

"I  began  to  enter  into  my  studies  with  such  pleasure  and 
spirit,  and  to  make  such  rapid  progress,  as  encouraged  me 
to  hope  that  the  time  was  not  far  distant  when  I  should  be 
able  to  commence  missionary  operations.  I  was  going  for- 
ward in  a  course  of  most  valuable  Burman  reading,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  had  begun  to  translate  one  of  the  Gospels, 
and  to  write  a  'View  of  the  Christian  Religion  '  in  Burman, 
which,  in  imagination,  were  already  finished  and  circulating 
among  the  natives,  when,  all  of  a  sudden,  in  the  midst  of 
the  hot  season,  which  in  this  country  is  most  severe  during 
the  months  of  March  and  April,  I  was  seized  with  a  distress- 
ing weakness  and  pain  in  my  eyes  and  head,  which  put  a 
stop  to  all  my  delightful  pursuits,  and  reduced  me  to  a  piti- 
able state  indeed.  Since  that  time,  excepting  at  some  inter- 
vals, I  have  been  unable  to  read,  or  write,  or  make  any 
exertion  whatever.  Sometimes  I  have  almost  given  up  the 
hope  that  I  should  ever  be  of  any  more  service  ;  sometimes 
I  have  been  on  the  point  of  trying  a  short  voyage  at  sea. 
But,  thanks  be  to  God,  it  is  now  ten  days  since  I  have  expe- 
rienced a  turn  of  severe  pain,  though  I  still  feel  great  weak- 
ness in  my  head,  and,  indeed,  throughout  my  whole  nervous 
system.  I  begin  now  to  hope  that  I  shall  gradually  recover, 
though  I  fear  I  never  shall  be  as  I  formerly  was." 

He  improved  even  the  hours  of  his  illness  by  collecting 
what  knowledge  he  had  acquired  of  the  language  and  "  put- 
ting it  together  in  the  shape  of  a  grammar  that  it  might 
not  be  wholly  lost  to  others."  Fearing  that  his  own  life 
might  soon  come  to  a  close,  he  determined  to  blaze  the 
trees  through  this  hitherto  untrodden  wilderness  of  the 
Burmese  language,  by  preparing  a  grammar.  On  July  13, 
1 8 16,  exactly  three  years  to  a  day  after  his  arrival,  he  com- 
pleted a  work  with  the  modest  title,  "  Grammatical  Notices 
of  the  Burman  Language."  It  was  printed  twenty  years 
afterward  ;  and  although  it  was  the  result  of  a  study  of  only 


102  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXTRAM  JUDSON. 

three  years,  of  one  of  the  most  difficult  Oriental  languages, 
and  was  written  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  a  sick-bed,  yet  its 
merits  were  such  as  to  command  the  following  notice  in  the 
Calaitta  Review : 

"  He  (Dr.  Judson)  published  another  work,  a  grammar  of  no  preten- 
sions, and  of  very  small  dimensions,  yet  a  manual  which  indicated  the 
genius  of  the  man,  perhaps,  more  strikingly  than  anything  else,  except 
his  Bible.  He  has  managed,  from  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Ian 
guage,  to  condense  into  a  few  short  pages  (only  seventy-six)  a  most 
complete  grammar  of  this  difficult  tongue;  and,  as  the  student  grows  in 
knowledge, //art passti,  this  little  volume  rises  in  his  estimation;  for  its 
lucid,  comprehensive  conciseness  becomes  more  and  more  manifest.  In 
our  limited  acquaintance  with  languages,  whether  of  the  East  or  West, 
we  have  seen  no  work  in  any  tongue  which  we  should  compare  with  it 
for  brevity  and  completeness  ;  yet  we  have,  in  our  day,  had  to  study  and 
wade  through  some  long  and  some  would-be  short  grammars." 

Partially  recovering  from  his  illness,  Mr.  Judson  com- 
pleted, on  July  30,  1816,  his  first  tract,  entitled  "A  View  of 
the  Christian  Religion,  in  three  parts,  Historic,  Didactic,  and 
Preceptive."* 

The  next  step  was  to  multiply  this  tract  and  speed  it  on 
its  way  among  the  Burmans.  A  press  and  Burman  types 
had  already  arrived — a  valuable  present  from  the  English 
Baptist  brethren  of  Serampore.  A  missionary  printer,  the 
Rev.  Geo.  H.  Hough,  and  his  wife,  were  already  on  their 
way  from  America.  Mr.  Rice  was  still  arousing  the  Bap- 
tists in  the  United  States  to  send  on  reinforcements  of 
men  and  money. 

Mr.  Judson  wrote  again  and  again  appealing  for  help. 

"  We  know  not  the  designs  of  God  in  regard  to  this  country  ; 
but  I  can  not  but  have  raised  expectations.  It  is  true  we 
may  have  to  labor  and  wait  many  years  before  the  blessing 
comes.  But  we  see  what  God  is  doing  in  other  heathen 
lands,  after  trying  the  faith  and  sincerity  of   His  servants 


*  See  Appendix  B.     Being  the  first  printed  statement  of  Christian  truth  presented 
to  the  Burman  mind,  it  has  a  peculiar  interest. 


LIFE  m  RANGOON,  1 03 

some  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  Look  at  Otaheite,  Bengal, 
Africa.  And  is  Burmah  to  remain  a  solitary  instance  of  the 
ineflRcacy  of  prayer,  of  the  forgetfulness  of  a  merciful  and 
faithful  God  ?  Is  it  nothing  that  an  attempt  is  begun  to  be 
made  ;  that,  in  one  instance,  the  language  is  considerably 
acquired  ;  that  a  tract  is  ready  for  publication,  which  is  in- 
telligible and  perspicuous,  and  will  give  the  Burmans  their 
first  ideas  of  a  Saviour  and  the  way  of  salvation  ;  that  a  press 
and  types  have  now  arrived,  and  a  printer  is  on  the  way  ; 
that  a  grammar  is  finished,  to  facilitate  the  studies  of  others, 
and  a  dictionary  of  the  language  is  in  a  very  forward  state  ; 
and  that  the  way  is  now  prepared,  as  soon  as  health  permits, 
to  proceed  slowly  in  the  translation  of  the  New  Testament  ? 
Is  it  nothing  that,  just  at  this  time,  the  monarch  of  the  coun- 
try has  taken  a  violent  hate  to  the  priests  of  his  own  religion, 
and  is  endeavoring,  with  all  his  power,  to  extirpate  the  whole 
order,  at  the  same  time  professing  to  be  an  inquirer  after  the 
true  religion  ?  Is  all  this  to  be  set  down  a  mere  cipher?  It 
is  true  that  we  may  desire  much  more.  But  let  us  use  what 
we  have,  and  God  will  give  us  more.  However,  men  and 
money  must  be  forthcoming.  Work  can  not  be  done  with- 
out men,  and  men  can  not  work  without  bread  ;  nor  can  we 
expect  the  ravens  to  feed  them  in  ordinary  cases.  I  do  not 
say  several  hundred  missionaries  are  needed  here.  This, 
though  true,  would  be  idle  talk.  My  request  I  think  modest. 
Five  men,  allowing  two  or  three  to  each  of  the  stations,  is 
the  smallest  number  that  will  possibly  answer. 

"  Permit  me  to  close  with  a  word  in  behalf  of  Eastern  mis- 
sions. Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  appear  to  be  the 
only  countries  which  can  at  present  take  a  very  active  part  in 
missionary  concerns.  The  British  are  fully  occupied  with 
India,  Africa,  and  the  South  Sea  Islands.  East  of  the  British 
possessions  in  India  are  Burmah,  Siam,  several  other  Indo- 
Chinese  nations,  the  great  empire  of  China,  Japan,  thence 
north  indefinitely,  and  southward  the  numerous  Malayan 
Isles.  With  all  these  countries  the  British  are  no  more  con- 
nected than  the  Americans.    The  British  are  under  no  greater 


I04  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAAI  JUDSON. 

obligations  to  evangelize  them  than  the  Americans.  They 
are  no  nearer  the  English,  in  point  of  transportation,  than 
the  Americans.  And  furthermore,  throughout  all  these 
countries  the  British  are  suspected  and  feared  ;  but  not  the 
Americans. 

"The  idea  that  the  western  continent  belongs  to  the 
Americans,  and  the  eastern  continent  to  the  British,  how- 
ever plausible  at  first  sight,  can  not  bear  a  moment's  ex- 
amination. I  apprehend  that  all  the  northwestern  Indians, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  those  parts  of  South  America  which 
are  accessible,  will  scarcely  outnumber  the  inhabitants  of 
this  single  empire  of  Burmah.  And  on  what  principle  can 
the  Americans,  who  are  perhaps  half  as  numerous  as  the 
British,  be  let  off  with  one-twentieth  or  one-thirtieth  part  of 
the  work  ?  But  when  we  apply  the  case  to  the  Baptists,  it 
is  still  more  decisive.  There  are  about  five  hundred  Baptist 
churches  in  Great  Britain,  which  average  one  hundred  mem- 
bers each.  There  are  two  thousand  in  America,  which 
average  about  the  same.  Behold  Ireland,  also,  almost  as 
destitute  as  South  America.  And  suppose  the  British  should 
say,  This  is  the  proper  province  of  our  missionary  exertions  ; 
let  us  leave  Asia  and  Africa  to  the  Americans,  and  '  not  send 
our  young  men  to  the  antipodes.'  " 

But  while  asking  for  men,  he  wanted  the  right  kind. 
They  must  be  well  qualified. 

To  the  Rev.  Luther  Rice. 

"  Rangoon,  November  14,  1816. 
"  In  encouraging  other  young  men  to  come  out  as  mission- 
aries, do  use  the  greatest  caution.  One  wrong-headed,  con- 
scientiously-obstinate fellow  would  ruin  us.  Humble,  quiet, 
persevering  men  ;  men  of  sound,  sterling  talents  (though, 
perhaps,  not  brilliant),  of  decent  accomplishments,  and  some 
natural  aptitude  to  acquire  a  language  ;  men  of  an  amiable, 
yielding  temper,  willing  to  take  the  lowest  place,  to  be  the 
least  of  all  and  the  servants  of  all  ;  men  who  enjoy  much 
closet  religion,  who  live  near  to  God,  and  are  willing  to  suffer 
all  things  for  Christ's  sake,  without  being  proud  of  it,  these 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.       '  1 05 

are  the  men,  etc.     But  O,  how  unlike  to  this  description  is 
the  writer  of  it."  .... 

Again  he  wrote  : 

"  In  regard  to  the  education  necessary  for  missionaries,  it 
appears  to  me  that  whatever  of  mental  improvement,  or  of 
literary  and  scientific  attainment,  is  desirable  in  a  minister 
at  home,  is  desirable  in  a  missionary.  I  think  I  could  illus- 
trate this  in  a  variety  of  particulars  ;  but  the  limits  of  a  let- 
ter do  not  allow.  I  feel,  however,  more  and  more,  the  inad- 
equacy and  comparative  insignificance  of  all  human  accom- 
plishments, whether  in  a  minister  or  a  missionary,  and  the 
unspeakable,  overwhelming  importance  of  spiritual  graces — 
humility,  patience,  meekness,  love — the  habitual  enjoyment 
of  closet  religion,  a  soul  abstracted  from  this  world,  and 
much  occupied  in  the  contemplation  of  heavenly  glories. 
Here  I  can  not  help  digressing  from  the  subject  to  myself. 
You  know  not,  my  dear  sir,  you  can  not  conceive,  how  ut- 
terly unfit  I  am  for  the  work  in  which  I  am  engaged.  I  am, 
indeed,  a  worm,  and  no  man.  It  is  a  wonder  that  I  am  al- 
lowed to  live  as  a  missionary  among  the  heathen,  and  receive 
an  undeserved  support  from  the  dear  people  of  God — from 
many  who  are  poor  in  this  world,  but  rich  in  faith.  Yet  I 
feel  necessity  laid  on  me  to  remain  here,  and  try  to  do  a  lit- 
tle something." 

The  reinforcements  at  last  arrived.  On  October  15,  1816, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Hough  and  family  landed  at  Rangoon,  and 
the  following  joint  letter  was  signed  by  Mr.  Judson  and 
Mr.  Hough  to  Dr.  Staughton,  the  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  missionary  society  in  America,  to  which  these  mis- 
sionaries looked  for  support : 

"  Rangoon,  November  7,  1816. 

"  It  is  with  peculiar  satisfaction  that  we  are,  at  length, 
able  to  address  a  letter  to  the  Board,  in  our  joint  capacity. 
We  had  a  joyful  meeting  in  this  place  the  15th  ult.  Mr, 
Hough  has  settled  in  one  part  of  the  mission-house  ;  and  we 
are  now  united,  both  as  a  church  of  Christ  and  as  a  mission 
society.     Our  regulations  on  the  latter  point  we  here  submit 


lo6  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

to  the  Board.  It  will  be  evident,  at  first  sight,  that  these 
regulations  have  a  prospective  view,  and  are  framed  some- 
what differently  from  what  they  would  have  been  had  we  not 
expected  that  our  society  would  soon  be  enlarged.  But  we 
hope  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  they  will  receive 
the  signature  of  brother  Rice  also.  Indeed,  we  hope  for  more 
than  this  ;  we  hope  that  one  or  two  others  will  be  found  to 
accompany  Mr.  Rice. 

"  It  is  true  that  one  of  us  remained  about  three  years  in 
this  place  without  uttering  any  Macedonian  cries.  But  we 
apprehend  that  the  time  is  now  come  when  it  is  consistent 
with  the  strictest  prudence  to  lift  up  our  voice  and  say,  Come 
over  the  ocean  and  help  us.  By  a  residence  of  three  years  in 
this  country,  many  doubts,  which  at  first  occurred,  are  re- 
moved ;  and  many  points  concerning  the  practicability  of  a 
mission,  and  the  prospect  of  success,  are  ascertained.  We 
can  not  now  enter  much  into  detail ;  but  we  desire  to  say 
that  we  consider  the  mission  established  in  this  land.  We 
unite  in  opinion  that  a  wide  door  is  set  open  for  the  intro- 
duction of  the  religion  of  Jesus  into  this  great  empire.  We 
have  at  present  no  governmental  interdict  to  encounter,  and 
no  greater  obstacles  than  such  as  oppose  the  progress  of  mis- 
sionaries in  every  heathen  land.  It  appears  to  us  (and  may 
it  so  appear  to  our  fathers  and  brethren)  that  God,  in  remov- 
ing the  English  mission  from  this  place,  and  substituting  in 
their  stead  an  American  mission,  is  emphaticall}^  calling  on 
the  American  churches  to  compassionate  the  poor  Burmans, 
and  to  send  their  silver,  and  their  gold,  and  their  young  men 
to  this  eastern  part  of  the  world,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 
against  the  mighty. 

"  It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  we  announce  the  valuable 
present  of  a  press  and  Burman  types,  made  to  us  by  the  Ser- 
ampore  brethren.  We  are  now  closing  in  a  room  for  a  tem- 
porary printing-office,  and  hope  very  soon  to  issue  a  Gospel 
tract,  which  has  been  in  readiness  some  time,  and  which  is 
intended  to  give  the  heathen  around  us  some  idea  of  the  way 
of  salvation  through  the  Lord  Jesus.  But  we  can  not  move 
one  step  in  the  way  of  printing  without  money.  Though 
favored  with  the  press,  in  the  first  instance,  gratis,  we  have 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


[07 


already  expended  in  paper,  freight,  and  sundries,  about  four 
hundred  rupees.  We  therefore  beg  an  immediate  appropri- 
ation, not  only  to  liquidate  the  expenses  already  incurred, 
but  to  enable  us  to  proceed  in  this  all-important  part  of  our 
work.  The  accounts  of  the  mission  press  we  propose  to  keep 
distinct ;  and  they  shall  be  submitted  together  with  the  ac- 
counts of  the  mission. 

"  We  know  not  how  long  the  press  will  be  permitted  to  re- 
main in  Rangoon  ;  we  do  not,  however,  deprecate  its  removal 
to  Ava.  Such  a  measure  would  doubtless  tend  to  the  fur- 
therance of  the  cause,  and  to  the  introduction  of  religion  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  empire,  where  Satan's  seat  is.  But  in 
this  case  more  men  and  more  money  would  be  imperatively 
demanded  ;  and  we  trust  that  the  patronage  of  the  Board 
will  not  fail  us  in  these  necessary  points.  We  desire  humbly 
to  repeat  to  the  Board  what  the  first  missionaries  from  the 
Baptist  society  in  England  said  to  their  friends,  when  on  the 
point  of  embarkation  in  the  great  work  which  seems  destined 
to  illumine  Western  India  with  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  'We 
are,'  said  they,  '  like  men  going  down  into  a  well  ;  you  stand 
at  the  top  and  hold  the  ropes.  Do  not  let  us  fall.'  Hold  us 
up,  brethren  and  fathers  ;  and  if  health  and  life  be  spared  to 
us,  we  hope,  through  the  grace  of  God,  to  see  Eastern  India 
also  beginning  to  participate  in  the  same  glorious  light. 
Many  years  may  intervene  in  the  latter  as  well  as  in  the  for- 
mer case  ;  many  difficulties  and  disappointments  may  try 
your  faith  and  ours.  But  let  patience  have  her  perfect  work  ; 
let  us  not  be  weary  of  well-doing  ;  for  in  due  time  we  shall 
reap,  if  we  faint  tiot.*' 

The  articles  of  agreement  alluded  to  in  this  letter  are  as 
follows  : 

"  In  order  more  effectually,  under  the  blessing  of  our  Lord 
and  Master,  to  accomplish  the  important  work  for  which  we 
have  come  into  this  heathen  land,  we,  the  undersigned,  form 
a  union  on  the  following  principles,  namely  : 

"  I.  We  give  ourselves  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  to  one 
another  by  the  will  of  God. 


Io8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  2.  We  agree  to  be  kindly-affectioned  one  toward  another 
with  brotherly  love,  in  honor  preferring  one  another  ;  feeling 
that  we  have  one  Master,  even  Christ,  and  that  all  we  are 
brethren. 

"3,  We  agree  in  the  opinion  that  our  sole  object  on  earth 
is  to  introduce  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  into  the  empire 
of  Burmah  ;  and  that  the  means  by  which  we  hope  to  effect 
this  are,  translating,  printing,  and  distributing  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  preaching  the  Gospel,  circulating  religious  tracts, 
and  promoting  the  instruction  of  native  children. 

'^4.  We  therefore  agree  to  engage  in  no  secular  business 
for  the  purpose  of  individual  emolument ;  and  not  at  all, 
unless,  in  the  opinion  of  the  brethren,  the  great  object  of  the 
mission  can  be  best  promoted  thereby. 

"  5.  We  agree  to  relinquish  all  private  right  to  remittances 
from  America,  avails  of  labor,  and  compensation  for  service  ; 
in  a  word,  to  place  all  money  and  property,  from  whatever 
quarter  accruing,  in  the  mission  fund  ;  provided,  that  nothing 
in  this  article  be  construed  to  affect  our  private  right  to  in- 
heritances, or  personal  favors,  not  made  in  compensation  of 
service. 

"6.  We  agree  that  all  the  members  of  the  mission  family 
have  claims  on  the  mission  fund  for  equal  support  in  similar 
circumstances  ;  the  claims  of  widows  and  orphans  not  to  be 
in  the  least  affected  by  the  death  of  the  head  of  their  family. 
But  it  is  to  be  understood  that  no  one  shall  have  a  right  to 
adopt  a  child  into  the  mission  family,  so  as  to  entitle  it  to 
the  claims  secured  in  this  article,  but  by  consent  of  the 
brethren. 

"  7.  We  agree  to  educate  our  children  with  a  particular 
reference  to  the  object  of  the  mission  ;  and  if  any  expense  be 
necessary  or  expedient  for  this  purpose,  it  shall  be  defrayed 
from  the  mission  fund. 

"  8.  All  appropriations  from  the  mission  fund  shall  be 
made  by  a  majority  of  the  missionary  brethren  united  in  this 
compact ;  subject,  however,  to  the  inspection  of  our  patrons, 
the  Board.  "A.  Judson,  Jr. 

"  George  H.  Hough." 


LIFE  IX  RAXGOOX.  109 

Upon  Mr,  Hough's  arrival  he  immediately  put  the  print- 
ing-press into  operation.  One  thousand  copies  of  the  tract 
above  mentioned  and  three  thousand  copies  of  a  catechism 
which  had  just  been  completed  by  Mrs.  Judson,  were  struck 
off  and  put  into  circulation.  This  strange  new  religion 
could  not  fail  of  at  least  catching  the  attention  of  the  in- 
quisitive Burmans.  As  the  fishermen  attach  many  hooks 
to  a  long  line  stretched  across  a  river,  hoping  that  at  least 
a  few  of  the  many  fishes  swimming  past  may  be  taken,  so 
our  missionaries,  with  much  care  and  toil,  adjusted  their 
trawl  of  tracts  in  the  midst  of  the  dense  Burmese  popula- 
tion, and  anxiously,  prayerfully  awaited  the  result. 

After  only  a  few  weeks  of  suspense  they  caught  the  first 
inquirer.  In  a  letter  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary,  dated 
Rangoon,  March  7,  1817,  Mr.  Judson  writes: 

"  Since  the  beginning  of  this  year,  we  have  printed  two 
tracts,  the  one  a  view  of  the  Christian  religion,  seven  pages, 
one  thousand  copies  ;  the  other  a  catechism  of  six  pages, 
i2mo,  three  thousand  copies.  After  which,  finding  that  we 
had  paper  sufficient  for  an  edition  of  eight  hundred  of  Mat- 
thew, we  concluded  to  undertake  this  one  gospel,  by  way  of 
trial,  and  as  introductory  to  a  larger  edition  of  the  whole 
New  Testament,  I  am  now  translating  the  eleventh  chapter, 
and  in  the  printing-room  the  third  half-sheet  is  setting  up. 
Having  premised  thus  much  concerning  the  present  posture 
of  our  affairs,  I  proceed  to  mention  the  circumstance  which 
induced  me  to  take  up  my  pen  at  this  time.  I  have  this  day 
been  visited  by  the  first  inquirer  after  religion  that  I  have 
ever  seen  in  Burmah.  For,  although  in  the  course  of  the  last 
two  years  I  have  preached  the  Gospel  to  many,  and  though 
some  have  visited  me  several  times,  and  conversed  on  the 
subject  of  religion,  yet  I  have  never  had  much  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  their  visits  originated  in  a  spirit  of  sincere  inquiry. 
Conversations  on  religion  have  always  been  of  my  proposing, 
and,  though  I  have  sometimes  been  encouraged  to  hope  that 
truth  had  made  some  impression,  never,  till  to-day,  have  I  met 
with  one  who  was  fairly  entitled  to  the  epithet  of  inquirer. 


no  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"As  I  was  sitting  with  my  teacher,  as  usual,  a  Burman  of 
respectable  appearance,  and  followed  by  a  servant,  came  up 
the  steps,  and  sat  down  by  me.  I  asked  him  the  usual  ques- 
tion, where  he  came  from,  to  which  he  gave  no  explicit  reply, 
and  I  began  to  suspect  that  he  had  come  from  the  Govern- 
ment house,  to  enforce  a  trifling  request  which  in  the  morning 
we  had  declined.  He  soon,  however,  undeceived  and  aston- 
ished me,  by  asking,  *  How  long  time  will  it  take  me  to  learn 
the  religion  of  Jesus  ?'  I  replied  that  such  a  question  could 
not  be  answered.  If  God  gave  light  and  wisdom,  the  religion 
of  Jesus  was  soon  learned  ;  but,  without  God,  a  man  might 
study  all  his  life  long,  and  make  no  proficiency.  '  But  how,' 
continued  I,  '  came  you  to  know  anything  of  Jesus  ?  Have 
you  ever  been  here  before  ? '  '  No.'  '  Have  you  seen  any 
writing  concerning  Jesus  ? '  'I  have  seen  two  little  books.' 
*  Who  is  Jesus  ? '  '  He  is  the  Son  of  God,  who,  pitying  creat- 
ures, came  into  this  world,  and  suffered  death  in  their  stead.' 
'Who  is  God?'  'He  is  a  being  without  beginning  or  end, 
who  is  not  subject  to  old  age  and  death,  but  always  is.'  I 
can  not  tell  how  I  felt  at  this  moment.  This  was  the  first 
acknowledgment  of  an  eternal  God  that  I  had  ever  heard 
from  the  lips  of  a  Burman.  I  handed  him  a  tract  and  cate- 
chism, both  which  he  instantly  recognized,  and  read  here  and 
there,  making  occasional  remarks  to  his  follower,  such  as 
'  This  is  the  true  God  ;  this  is  the  right  way,'  etc.  I  now 
tried  to  tell  him  some  things  about  God  and  Christ,  and  him- 
self, but  he  did  not  listen  with  much  attention,  and  seemed 
anxious  only  to  get  another  book.  I  had  already  told  him 
two  or  three  times  that  I  had  finished  no  other  book,  but 
that  in  two  or  three  months  I  would  give  him  a  larger  one, 
which  I  was  now  daily  employed  in  translating.  '  But,'  re- 
plied he,  '  have  you  not  a  little  of  that  book  done,  which  you 
will  graciously  give  me  now  ? '  And  I,  beginning  to  think 
that  God's  time  is  better  than  man's,  folded  and  gave  him 
the  first  two  half-sheets,  which  contain  the  first  five  chapters 
of  Matthew,  on  which  he  instantly  rose,  as  if  his  business 
was  all  done,  and,  having  received  an  invitation  to  come 
again,  took  leave. 


LIFE  IX  RANGOON.  lU 

"Throughout  his  short  stay,  he  appeared  different  from 
any  Burmans  I  have  yet  met  with.  He  asked  no  questions 
about  customs  and  manners,  with  which  the  Burmans  tease 
us  exceedingly.  He  had  no  curiosity,  and  no  desire  for  any- 
thing, but  'more  of  this  sort  of  writing.'  In  fine,  his  con- 
duct proved  that  he  had  something  on  his  mind,  and  I  can 
not  but-hope  that  I  shall  have  to  write  about  him  again. 

"  March  24.  We  have  not  yet  seen  our  inquirer  ;  but  to- 
day we  met  with  one  of  his  acquaintance,  who  says  that  he 
reads  our  books  all  the  day,  and  shows  them  to  all  that  call 
upon  him.  We  told  him  to  ask  his  friend  to  come  and  see  us 
again." 

In  a  letter  written  almost  a  year  afterward,  Mrs.  Judson 
alludes  to  this  same  inquirer: 

'■^January  30.  The  Burman  Mr.  Judson  mentioned  some 
time  ago  as  being  the  first  serious  inquirer,  and  one  who  has 
excited  the  most  hope,  came  to-day  to  the  mission-house.  It 
is  now  almost  a  year  since  he  first  came,  and  with  much  ap- 
parent anxiety  inquired,  '  How  long  time  will  it  take  me  to 
learn  the  religion  of  Jesus?'  We  have  since  frequently  in- 
quired, but  obtained  little  information  respecting  him  until 
to-day.  Soon  after  his  first  visit,  he  was  appointed  governor 
of  a  cluster  of  villages  situated  on  the  Salwen  River,  in  the 
country  of  Pegu.  He  has  been  at  Rangoon  but  once  since, 
and  then  on  business  by  order  of  the  viceroy,  and  obliged  to 
return  immediately. 

*'  I  asked  him  if  he  had  become  a  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ. 
He  replied,  '  I  have  not  yet,  but  I  am  thinking  and  reading 
in  order  to  become  one.  I  can  not  yet  destroy  my  old  mind  ; 
for  when  I  see  a  handsome  patso  (a  cloth  the  Burman  men 
wear)  or  a  handsome  g(nviibown  (the  handkerchief  worn  on 
the  head),  I  still  desire  them.  Tell  the  great  teacher,  when 
he  returns,  that  I  wish  to  see  him,  though  I  am  not  a  disciple 
of  Christ.*  He  requested  the  remaining  part  of  Matthew's 
gospel,  also  catechisms  and  tracts  for  his  followers.  I  gave 
all  of  his  attendants  tracts  ;  on  which  he  said  to  them,  'Take 
and  read  them  attentively,  and  when  you  have  embraced  the 


112  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

doctrines  they  contain,  come   here,  and    converse  with  the 
teacher.'  " 

As  no  further  mention  is  made  of  this  first  inquirer  who 
caused  such  a  leap  of  hope  in  Mr.  Judson's  heart,  we  are  left 
in  the  dark  as  to  his  subsequent  life,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
young  man  who  asked  our  blessed  Lord  what  good  thing 
he  should  do  that  he  might  have  eternal  life,  and  having 
heard  the  reply,  went  away  sorrowing.  Did  this  eager  in- 
quirer for  "  more  of  this  sort  of  writing  "  learn  to  cherish  a 
secret  faith  in  the  Christ,  so  earnestly  commended  to  him 
by  the  pale-faced  stranger?  or,  rejecting  the  Saviour,  did 
he  make  what  Dante  calls  "the  great  refusal  "?* 

On  May  20,  18 17,  Mr.  Judson  completed  the  translation 
of  the  gospel  of  Matthew.  This  marks  the  first  stage  in 
the  monumental  task  of  translating  the  whole  Bible  into 
Burmese.  Two  days  later  he  began  to  compile  a  Burman 
dictionary.  But  close  application  for  more  than  four  years 
to  the  study  of  the  Burman  language  and  to  the  translation 
of  tracts  and  Scriptures,  and  to  the  compilation  of  a  gram- 
mar and  dictionary,  were  breaking  down  his  health.  A  sea 
voyage  was  needed  to  restore  his  vigor.  But  need  of  rest 
alone  would  not  have  caused  him  to  take  even  a  few  weeks' 
vacation  from  his  toils  and  cares.  He  was  impatient  to 
begin  holding  public  services  in  the  Burman  tongue.  But 
although  he  understood  the  structure  of  the  language,  and 
could  read,  and  write,  and  speak  in  Burman,  yet  for  conduct- 
ing public  worship  he  felt  the  need  of  a  native  Christian 
helper. 

Burmah  is  flanked  on  the  western  side  by  the  mountains 
of  Arracan ;  f  between  these  and  the  Bay  of  Bengal  lies  the 
flat  coast  district  of  Chittagong.  It  had  been  ceded  to  the 
English.  The  inhabitants  of  this  district  spoke  Burmese. 
A  few  years  before,  the  English  Baptists  had  begun  a  mis- 
sion in  Chittagong.     Several  converts  had  been   baptized, 


*  For  this  phrase  of  Dante's  I  am  indebted  to  Canon  Farrar.  t  See  Map  II. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  1 1 3 

when  the  mission  was  abandoned.  Mr.  Judsou  conceived 
the  plan  of  visiting  Chittagong,  in  order  to  gather  together 
the  scattered  converts,  instruct  them  anew,  and  perhaps 
bring  one  or  two  of  them  to  help  him  in  Rangoon.  This 
would  furnish  him  employment  during  the  needed  vacation. 
Besides,  the  rare  opportunity  was  afforded  of  going  and 
returning  in  the  same  ship;  so  that  he  would  have  to  be 
absent  for  only  three  months.  How  painfully  this  pet  proj- 
ect of  his  was  frustrated,  and  how  his  three  months  were 
stretched  out  into  almost  two-thirds  of  a  precious  year,  may 
be  learned  from  the  following  letters  to  the  Corresponding 
Secretary : 

"Madras,  J/ay  2S,  iSiS. 

"In  former  letters  I  have  stated  my  circumstances  at  the 
close  of  last  year,  and  the  reasons  which  induced  me  to  leave 
Rangoon  on  a  visit  to  Chittagong  ;  particularly  the  prospect 
of  a  direct  passage,  and  speedy  return  in  the  same  ship — an 
opportunity  of  very  rare  occurrence  in  Rangoon. 

"  Since  that  time  a  series  of  unexpected  providences  have 
befallen  me,  which,  though  uninteresting  in  detail,  nust  be 
briefly  mentioned,  in  order  to  account  for  my  present  situ- 
ation. 

"When  we  left  Rangoon,  December  25,  we  expected  a 
passage  of  ten  or  twelve  days.  At  the  expiration  of  a  month, 
however,  by  reason  of  contrary  winds,  and  the  unmanage- 
ableness  of  the  ship  in  the  difficult  navigation  along  the 
coast,  we  found  ourselves  still  at  a  great  distance  from  port ; 
and  the  season  being  so  far  advanced  as  to  deprive  us  of  the 
hope  of  more  favorable  winds,  the  captain  and  supercargo 
agreed  on  a  change  of  the  ship's  destination,  and  made  sail 
for  Madras. 

"  Previous  to  leaving  the  coast,  we  put  into  Cheduba,  a 
place  under  Burman  government,  for  a  supply  of  provisions. 
I  was  unable  to  go  ashore,  but  took  the  opportunity  of  send- 
ing a  tract  by  the  boat.  It  happened  to  be  conveyed  direct- 
ly to  the  governor,  and  he  ordered  it  read  in  his  presence. 
Soon  after,  when  our  captain  had  an  audience,  the  governoi 


114  ^-^^  ^^^^  ^^  ADOXIRAM  yUDSO.V. 

inquired  after  the  writer  of  the  tract,  who  he  was,  and  how 
long  he  had  been  in  the  country.  The  captain  evaded  some 
questions,  for  fear  of  detention,  I  suppose,  and  merely  stated 
that  the  writer  was  a  foreigner,  who  had  resided  in  Rangoon 
about  four  years.  '  No,'  replied  the  governor,  '  that  is  not 
to  be  credited.  You  can  not  make  me  believe  that  a  foreigner, 
in  so  short  a  time,  has  learned  to  write  the  language  so  well. 
It  must  have  been  written  by  some  other  person.'  The  cap- 
tain related  this  to  me  on  his  return.  I  felt  particularly 
gratified  by  this  testimony  to  the  perspicuity  of  the  style, 
and  thought  it  not  unworthy  of  mentioning,  because  it  could 
not  be  suspected,  as  others  which  had  been  made  to  me 
personally,  of  having  been  a  mere  compliment. 

"  The  ship's  destination  was  changed  on  the  26th  of  Janu- 
ary. We  retraced  our  course  for  a  few  days,  and  then  stood 
to  the  westward.  It  was  with  the  most  bitter  feelings  that 
I  witnessed  the  entire  failure  of  my  undertaking,  and  saw 
the  summits  of  the  mountains  of  Arracan,  the  last  indexes  of 
my  country,  sinking  in  the  horizon,  and  the  ship  stretching 
away  to  a  distant  part  of  India,  which  I  had  no  wish  to  visit, 
and  where  I  had  no  object  to  obtain.  It  was,  however,  some 
mitigation  of  my  disappointment,  that  I  should,  in  all  prob- 
ability, be  able  to  return  to  Rangoon,  and  resume  my  mis- 
sionary business  much  earlier  than  if  I  had  visited  Chittagong. 
But  even  the  consolation  of  this  hope  was  not  long  allowed 
me.  We  had,  indeed,  a  quick  passage  across  the  bay  ;  but 
on  drawing  near  the  Coromandel  coast  the  wind  and  current 
combined  to  prevent  our  further  progress,  and  at  the  ex- 
piration of  another  month,  having  for  a  long  time  subsisted 
on  nothing  scarcely  but  rice  and  water,  and  being  now  re- 
duced to  very  short  allowance,  we  concluded  to  make  sail 
for  Masulipatam,  a  port  north  of  Madras,  which  we  doubted 
not  we  should  be  able  to  reach  in  a  very  few  days.  In  this, 
again,  we  were  disappointed,  and  through  the  unmanage- 
ableness  of  the  ship,  or  the  mismanagement  of  the  captain, 
were  detained  at  sea  nearly  another  month.  During  this 
period  we  were  sometimes  in  great  distress,  deeming  our- 
selves very  fortunate  when  able  to  get  a  bag  of  rice,  or  a  few 


LIFE  IN  RAXGOON.  1 15 

buckets  of  water,  from  any  native  vessel  which  happened  to 
pass.  Once  we  sent  the  long-boat  to  the  shore,  and  obtained 
a  considerable  supply  of  water,  which  was  a  great  relief.  But 
of  rice  we  could  obtain  no  sufficient  supply,  and  all  other 
articles  of  provision  were  quite  out  of  the  question. 

"The  low  state  to  which  I  was  at  length  reduced  occasioned 
a  partial  return  of  the  disorder  of  my  head  and  eyes,  to 
which  I  was  subject  two  years  ago.  This,  with  other  circum- 
stances united,  left  me  no  other  source  of  consolation  but 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  and  an  unreserved  surrender 
of  all  to  His  care  ;  and  praised  be  His  name,  I  found  more 
consolation  and  happiness  in  communion  with  God,  and  in 
the  enjoyments  of  religion,  than  I  had  ever  found  in  more 
prosperous  circumstances. 

"  Finally  we  did  reach  Masulipatam,  and  I  left  the  ship  on 
the  i8th  of  March,  twelve  weeks  after  embarking  at  Rangoon, 
I  waited  at  Masulipatam  a  few  days,  until  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  ship  would  unlade  her  cargo,  and  remain  several 
months.  And  as  there  was  no  prospect  that  season  of  reach- 
ing Madras  by  sea,  the  only  port  on  the  coast  where  I  could 
hope  to  find  a  vessel  bound  to  Rangoon,  I  was  under  the 
necessity  of  taking  a  journey  by  land — distance  about  three 
hundred  miles.  I  accordingly  hired  a  palanquin  and  bearers, 
and  arrived  here  the  8th  of  April.  My  first  aim  was,  of 
course,  the  beach,  and  my  first  inquiry  a  vessel  bound  to 
Rangoon.  But  my  chapter  of  disappointments  was  not  yet 
finished.  No  vessel  had  sailed  for  Rangoon  this  year,  and 
such,  it  was  understood,  was  the  unsettled  state  of  the  Bur- 
man  country,  that  none  would  probably  venture  for  some 
time  to  come. 

"  Here  I  have  remained  ever  since,  under  very  trying  cir- 
cumstances. Have  scarcely  heard  from  Rangoon  since  I  left, 
or  been  able  to  transmit  any  intelligence  thither  by  a  convey- 
ance to  be  depended  on.  The  weakness  of  my  eyes  prevents 
my  application  to  study,  or  attempt  at  any  exertion.  I  am 
making  no  progress  in  missionary  work  ;  I  am  distressed  by 
the  appalling  recollection  of  the  various  business  which  was 
pressing  on  me  at  Rangoon,  and  made  me  very  reluctant  to 


Ii6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

leave  home  for  the  shortest  time.  Now,  I  have  been  detained 
twice  as  long  as  I  anticipated,  and  have,  withal,  wholly  failed 
in  my  undertaking.  Where,  my  rebellious  heart  is  ready  to 
cry,  where  is  the  wisdom  of  all  this  ?  But  it  is  wise,  though 
blindness  can  not  apprehend.  It  is  best,  though  unbelief  is 
disposed  to  murmur.     Be  still,  my  soul,  and  know  that  He 

is  God." 

"  Rangoon,  October  9,  1818. 
"My  last  was  dated  Madras,  May  28,  1818.  At  that  place 
I  remained,  waiting  for  a  conveyance  to  Rangoon,  until  the 
20th  of  July,  when  I  took  passage  on  an  English  vessel,  at 
one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  rupees.  During  my  stay  in 
Madras,  I  experienced  great  kindness  and  hospitality  in  the 
families  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson,  chaplain,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Loveless,  missionary  ;  and  received  such  proofs  of  Chris- 
tian affection  from  many  dear  friends,  as  rendered  parting 
with  them  very  painful,  though  my  detention  in  Madras  had, 
in  other  respects,  been  almost  insupportable.  We  anchored 
at  the  mouth  of  Rangoon  River,  on  the  2d  of  August.  The 
next  morning,  when  the  pilot  came  on  board,  I  was  over- 
whelmed with  the  intelligence  that,  on  account  of  the  danger- 
ous situation  of  affairs,  the  mission  had  been  broken  up,  and 
that  Mr.  Hough  and  family,  and  Mrs.  Judson,  had  taken 
passage  for  Bengal.  To  my  great  relief,  however,  it  was 
added,  that,  before  the  ship  left  the  river,  Mrs.  Judson's 
reluctance  to  leave  the  place  had  so  increased  as  to  force  her 
back  to  the  mission-house  alone  ;  and  further,  that  the  ship, 
being  found  unfit  for  sea,  was  still  detained.  On  my  arrival, 
I  found  that  brother  Hough  was  inclined  to  pursue  his  orig- 
inal plan.  His  reasons  he  will  doubtless  communicate  to  the 
Board.  It  is  expected  that  the  vessel  will  be  ready  for  sea 
in  about  a  fortnight." 

It  is  characteristic  of  IVIr.  Judson's  letters  to  the  Board 
that  he  kept  out  of  sight  his  own  personal  sufferings,  touch- 
ing only  upon  matters  which  seemed  to  him  of  general  in- 
terest and  importance.  We  are,  therefore,  indebted  to 
Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  for  certain  reminiscences  of  this  horrible 
voyage,  which  she  received  from  his  own  lips : 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  1 1 7 

"They  had  sailed  for  Chittagong,  a  passage  which  should 
have  been  made  in  ten  or  twelve  days,  at  farthest.  He  had, 
therefore,  prepared  himself  for  only  a  few  weeks'  absence 
from  home.  When  the  vessel  put  in  at  Cheduba,  the  nervous 
affection  of  his  head  and  eyes,  occasioned  at  first  by  low  diet, 
had  so  much  increased  by  exhaustion  and  lack  of  food,  that 
he  was  unable  to  go  on  shore.  When  they  approached  the 
Coromandel  coast,  and  again  encountered  contrary  winds, 
they  were  reduced  to  almost  the  last  extremity,  and  the  con- 
stitution of  Mr.  Judson  sank  under  these  accumulated  hard- 
ships. The  mouldy,  broken  rice,  which  they  picked  up  from 
native  vessels,  and  this  in  small  quantities,  with  a  limited 
supply  of  water,  was  their  sole  sustenance  for  three  or  four 
weeks.  He  was  accustomed  to  look  back  on  his  sufferings  at 
this  time  with  a  feeling  of  horror  scarcely  equalled  by  his 
reminiscences  of  Ava.  Here  he  was  alone,  in  a  state  of  pas- 
sive, monotonous  suffering,  with  no  one  to  share  his  sympa- 
thies, and  nothing  to  arouse  his  energies.  His  scanty  ward- 
robe, prepared  for  a  trip  of  ten  or  twelve  days,  had  been 
long  since  exhausted,  and  what  with  starvation,  filth,  pain, 
and  discouragement,  he  became  unable  to  leave  his  berth. 
At  last  he  was  attacked  by  a  slow  fever,  and  turning  in  disgust 
from  his  little  mess  of  dirty  rice,  he  begged  continually  for 
water  !  water  !  water  !  without  ever  obtaining  enough  to 
quench,  even  for  a  moment,  his  devouring  thirst.  At  length 
the  little  vessel  came  to  anchor  in  the  mud  of  Masulipatam, 
some  two  or  three  miles  from  the  low,  uninviting  beach,  and 
the  captain  came  to  inquire  if  he  would  be  taken  on  shore. 
The  fact  that  they  were  near  land  seemed  to  him  an  incred- 
ible thing,  a  kind  of  dreamy  illusion  too  fanciful  to  interest 
him.  After  some  urging,  however,  he  became  sufficiently 
roused  to  pencil  a  note,  which  he  addressed  to  '  any  English 
resident  of  Masulipatam,'  begging  only  for  a  place  on  shore 
to  die.  After  a  little  while,  one  of  the  men  came  below,  to 
tell  him  that  a  boat  was  approaching  from  the  shore.  He 
now  succeeded  in  crawling  to  the  window  of  his  cabin,  from 
which  he  plainly  distinguished,  in  the  rapidly  moving  boat, 
both  the  red  coat  of  the  military  and  the  white  jacket  of  the 


Ii8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

civilian.  In  the  first  thrill  of  joyful  surprise,  the  sudden 
awakening  of  hope  and  pleasure,  he  threw  himself  on  his 
knees  and  wept.  Before  his  new  friends  were  fairly  on 
board,  he  had  succeeded  in  gaining  some  little  self-con- 
trol ;  but  he  added,  his  voice  faltering  and  his  eyes  filling 
with  tears  as  he  related  the  incident  to  Mrs.  Judson, 
'The  white  face  of  an  Englishman  never  looked  to  me 
so  beautiful,  so  like  my  conception  of  what  angel  faces 
are,  as  when  these  strangers  entered  my  cabin.'  They 
were  very  much  shocked  at  his  visible  wretchedness  :  he 
was  haggard,  unshaven,  dirty,  and  so  weak  that  he  could 
with  difficulty  support  his  own  weight.  Their  earnest  cordi- 
ality was  peculiarly  grateful  to  him.  One  of  the  officers 
took  him  to  his  own  house,  supplied  him  from  his  own  ward- 
robe, procured  a  nurse,  whom,  however,  he  had  occasion  to 
employ  but  a  short  time,  and  displayed  throughout  a  gener- 
ous hospitality  which  Dr.  Judson  never  forgot." 

But  his  anxieties  and  sufferings  during  this  voyage  were 
fully  parallelled  by  those  of  the  heroic  woman  whom  he  had 
left  behind  him  at  Rangoon.  From  Christmas-day  of  1817 
until  July  16  of  the  following  year,  no  word  whatever 
came  to  Mrs.  Judson  from  her  husband,  from  whom  she 
had  expected  to  be  parted  only  for  a  few  weeks.  She  occu- 
pied part  of  her  time  teaching  about  thirty  Burman  women 
whom  she  had  gathered  together.     She  writes : 

"I  have  again  commenced  my  studies,  keeping  myself 
closely  engaged  until  2  o'clock.  This  I  find  the  best  method 
to  avoid  dejection.  Besides  my  conscience  will  not  permit 
me  to  sit  idly  down,  and  yield  to  those  depressing  feelings  in 
which  a  Christian  should  not  indulge." 

A  succession  of  disasters  had  swept  over  the  little  mission. 
She  alone  faltered  not.  We  catch  a  gleam  at  Rangoon  of  that 
same  fidelity  and  courage  that  afterward  burned  so  long  and 
so  steadily  at  Ava  and  Oung-penla.  The  mission  was  har- 
assed by  Government  persecution.  It  was  rumored  that  the 
foreigners  were  to  be  banished.    The  viceroy,  who  had  been 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  119 

their  steady  friend,  was  recalled  to  Ava.  The  new  viceroy 
was  a  stranger  to  them.  A  menacing  order  summoned  Mr. 
Hough  to  the  court-house,  with  the  message  that,  "  If  he 
did  not  tell  all  the  truth  relative  to  his  situation  in  the 
country,  they  would  write  with  his  heart's  blood."  Mrs. 
Judson  interceded  in  person,  and  by  her  own  knowledge  of 
the  language,  and  her  matchless  womanly  tact,  conciliated 
the  viceroy.  Asiatic  cholera  raged  in  Rangoon.  The  death- 
gong  sounded  all  the  day  long.  Rumors  of  war  between 
England  and  Burmah  filled  the  air.  The  English  ships  one 
by  one  hastily  weighed  anchor  and  slipped  out  of  the  harbor; 
only  a  single  vessel  remained — the  sole  way  of  escape.  Her 
missionary  associates,  the  Houghs,  determined  to  seize  this 
last  opportunity,  and  fly  from  the  country  before  it  was  too 
late.  Against  her  will  they  urged  her  on  board.  But  her 
great  nature  rose  in  its  strength.  She  insisted  on  going 
ashore.  She  tore  herself  away  and  went  back  to  the  mis- 
sion premises  alone.  Her  husband,  if  still  alive,  should  not 
return  and  find  his  mission-station  deserted,  and  himself  in 
Burmah  without  a  companion. 

"  For  mightier  far  than  strength  of  nerve  and  sinew, 
Or  magic  potent  over  sun  and  star,  is  Love ; 
Though  oft  to  agony  distrest. 
And  though  his  favorite  seat  be  feeble  woman's  breast." 

The  subjoined  account  of  Mrs.  Judson's  experiences  is 
in  her  own  words : 

"  Mr.  Hough,  for  some  time  past,  has  been  desirous  to  have 
Mrs.  Hough,  myself,  and  his  children  go  to  Bengal.  But  I 
have  ever  felt  resolved  not  to  make  any  movement  until  I 
hear  from  Mr.  Judson.  Within  a  few  days,  however,  some 
circumstances  have  occurred  which  have  induced  me  to 
make  preparations  for  a  voyage.  There  is  but  one  remain- 
ing ship  in  the  river,  and  if  an  embargo  is  laid  on  English 
ships,  it  will  be  impossible  for  Mr.  Judson  (if  he  is  yet  alive) 
to  return  to  this  place.  But  the  uncertainty  of  meeting  him 
in  Bengal,  and  the  possibility  of  his  arriving  in  my  absencCj 


I20  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOKIRAM  JUDSON. 

cause  me  to  make  preparations  with  a  heavy  heart.  Some- 
times I  feel  inclined  to  remain  here  alone,  and  hazard  the 
consequences.  I  should  certainly  conclude  on  this  step,  if 
any  probability  existed  of  Mr.  Judson's  return.  This  mission 
has  never  appeared  in  so  low  a  state  as  at  the  present  time. 
It  seems  now  entirely  destroyed,  as  we  all  expect  to  embark 
for  Bengal  in  a  day  or  two.  Alas  !  alas  !  how  changed  our 
prospects  since  Mr.  Judson  left  us.  How  dark,  how  intricate 
the  providence  which  now  surrounds  us  !  Yet  it  becomes 
us  to  be  still,  and  know  that  He  is  God  who  has  thus  or- 
dered our  circumstances. 

"Jtdy  14.  Alone,  my  dear  friends,  in  this  great  house, 
without  an  individual  excepting  my  little  girl  and  Burmans, 
I  take  my  pen  to  relate  the  strange  vicissitudes  through 
which  I  have  passed  within  a  few  days. 

''  On  the  5th  of  this  month  I  embarked  with  Mr,  Hough 
and  family  for  Bengal,  having  previously  disposed  of  what 
I  could  not  take  with  me.  I  had  engaged  Mr.  Judson's 
teacher  to  accompany  me,  that  in  case  of  meeting  him  in 
Bengal  he  could  go  on  with  his  Burman  studies.  But  the 
teacher,  fearing  the  difficulties  arising  from  his  being  a  Bur- 
man,  broke  his  engagement,  and  refused  to  go.  My  disin- 
clination to  proceed  in  the  course  commenced  had  increased 
to  such  a  degree,  that  I  was  on  the  point  of  giving  up  the 
voyage  myself  ;  but  my  passage  was  paid,  my  baggage  on 
board,  and  I  knew  not  how  to  separate  myself  from  the  rest 
of  the  mission  family.  The  vessel,  however,  was  several 
days  in  going  down  the  river  ;  and  when  on  the  point  of 
putting  out  to  sea,  the  captain  and  officers  ascertained  she 
was  in  a  dangerous  state,  in  consequence  of  having  been  im- 
properly loaded,  and  that  she  must  be  detained  for  a  day  or 
two  at  the  place  in  which  she  then  lay.  I  immediately  re- 
solved on  giving  up  the  voj'age  and  returning  to  town.  Ac- 
cordingly the  captain  sent  up  a  boat  with  me,  and  engaged 
to  forward  my  baggage  the  next  day.  I  reached  town  in  the 
evening — spent  the  night  at  the  house  of  the  only  remaining 
Englishman  in  the  place,  and  to-day  have  come  out  to  the 
mission-house,  to  the  great  joy  of  all  the  Burmans  left  on 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON;  I2i 

our  premises.  Mr.  Hough  and  his  family  will  proceed,  and 
they  kindly  and  affectionately  urge  my  return.  I  know  I  am 
surrounded  by  dangers  on  every  hand,  and  expect  to  see 
much  anxiety  and  distress  ;  but  at  present  I  am  tranquil,  and 
intend  to  make  an  effort  to  pursue  my  studies  as  formerly, 
and  leave  the  event  with  God." 

After  this  gloomy  episode  the  prospects  of  the  mission 
began  to  brighten.  Mr.  Hough,  indeed,  had  gone  to  Cal- 
cutta, taking  the  printing-press  with  him,  so  that  for  some 
time  all  the  presswork  of  the  mission  had  to  be  done  there. 
But  on  September  19,  18 18,  Messrs.  Colman  and  Wheelock, 
with  their  wives,  arrived  in  Rangoon  and  joined  the  mission. 
Mr.  Judson  writes: 

"We  had,  I  can  truly  say,  a  most  joyful  meeting.  You 
have  never  seen  them,  or  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  add 
that  they  are  four  lovely  persons,  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
and  appear  to  have  much  of  an  humble,  prayerful  spirit.  Such 
being  their  interesting  appearance,  we  regret  more  deeply 
to  find  that  the  health  of  the  brethren  is  so  feeble.  They 
have  both  had  a  slight  return  of  bleeding  at  the  lungs,  an 
old  complaint,  to  which  they  were  subject  in  America.  May 
the  Lord  graciously  restore  and  preserve  them. 

"A  few  days  after  their  arrival,  I  introduced  them  into  the 
presence  of  the  viceroy.  He  received  us  with  marked  atten- 
tion, which,  however,  must  be  ascribed  to  the  influence  of  a 
handsome  present,  which  went  before  us.  Though  sur- 
rounded with  many  officers,  he  suspended  all  business  for  a 
time,  examined  the  present,  and  condescended  to  make  sev- 
eral inquiries.  On  being  told  that  the  new  teachers  desired 
to  take  refuge  in  his  glory,  and  remain  in  Rangoon,  he  re- 
plied, '  Let  them  stay,  let  them  stay  ;  and  let  your  wife  bring 
their  wives  that  I  may  see  them  all.'  We  then  made  our 
obeisance,  and  retired." 

The  time  had  now  come  when  Mr.  Judson's  long-cher- 
ished desire  to  hold  public  worship  among  the  Burmans  in 


122  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

their  own  tongue  was  to  be  gratified.  The  Httle  chapel, 
or  zayat,  had  been  built.  It  is  thus  described  by  Mrs. 
Judson : 

"  The  zayat  is  situated  thirty  or  forty  rods  from  the  mis- 
sion-house, and  in  dimensions  is  twenty-seven  by  eighteen 
feet.  It  is  raised  four  feet  from  the  ground,  and  is  divided 
into  three  parts.  The  first  division  is  laid  entirely  open  to 
the  road,  without  doors,  windows,  or  a  partition  in  the  front 
side,  and  takes  up  a  third  part  of  the  whole  building.  It  is 
made  of  bamboo  and  thatch,  and  is  the  place  where  Mr. 
Judson  sits  all  the  day  long,  and  says  to  the  passers-by,  '  Ho  ! 
every  one  that  thirsteth,'  etc.  The  next  and  middle  divis- 
ion is  a  large,  airy  room,  with  four  doors  and  four  windows, 
opening  in  opposite  directions  ;  made  entirely  of  boards, 
and  is  whitewashed,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  other  zayats 
around  us. 

**  In  this  room  we  have  public  worship  in  Burman  on  the 
Sabbath  ;  and  in  the  middle  of  it  I  am  now  situated  at 
my  writing-table,  while  six  of  the  male  scholars  are  at  one 
end,  each  with  his  torch  and  blackboard,  over  which  he  is 
industriously  bending,  and  emitting  the  curious  sounds  of 
the  language.  The  third  and  last  division  is  only  an  entry- 
way,  which  opens  into  the  garden  leading  to  the  mission- 
house.  In  this  apartment  all  the  women  are  seated,  with 
their  lights  and  blackboards,  much  in  the  same  position  and 
employment  as  the  men." 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  that  the  zayat  was  not  simply  a 
church,  but  a  religious  school-house  as  well.  It  also  afforded 
a  convenient  place  of  rendezvous  where  Mr.  Judson  could 
sit  all  the  day  long,  attracting  the  attention  of  the  passers- 
by,  and  often  engaging  them  in  religious  conversation.* 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Judson  to  the  Correspond- 
ing Secretary  relates  to  this,  the  first  house  of  worship 
erected  by  American  Baptists  in  Burmah  : 


■  *  The  work  done  through  the  zayat  is  described  in  a  sketch  by  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson, 
entitled  "Wayside  Preaching."     See  Appendix  F. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON: 


123 


"  Rangoon,  February  20,  1819. 

"  The  prospect  of  the  speedy  departure  of  a  vessel  for  Ben 
gal  reminds  us  of  our  unanswered  letters.  Brother  Colman 
has  nearly  recovered  his  health,  which  suffered  much  on  his 
first  arrival.  But  brother  Wheelock  still  remains  in  a  low, 
and,  I  fear,  declining  state. 

"  My  time,  for  the  last  few  months,  has  been  divided  be- 
tweeji  reading  Burman,  writing  some  portions  of  Scripture, 
and  other  things  preparatory  to  public  worship,  holding  con- 
versations on  religion,  and  superintending  the  erection  of  a 
zayat  (as  the  Burmans  call  it),  or  place  of  public  resort,  where 
we  intend  to  spend  much  of  our  time,  and  where  we  hope  to 
have  stated  worship,  or,  at  least,  to  try  the  practicability  of 
such  an  attempt  under  this  Government. 

"The  peculiarly  retired  situation  of  the  mission-house  has 
long  rendered  the  erection  of  such  a  building,  or  a  change  of 
residence,  a  very  desirable  measure.  After  much  hesitation 
and  perplexity  about  our  duty,  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to 
procure,  at  a  very  moderate  price,  a  piece  of  ground  which  is 
contiguous  to  the  mission  premises,  and  at  the  same  time 
opens  on  a  public  road.  The  building  is  now  going  up,  with 
such  scanty  materials  and  means  as  we  can  afford,  or,  rather, 
as  we  think  you  can  afford.  The  whole  concern  will  cost 
about  two  hundred  dollars.  And  should  this  zayat  prove  to 
be  a  Christian  meeting-house,  the  first  erected  in  this  land  of 
atheists,  for  the  worship  of  God — a  house  where  Burmans, 
who  now  deny  the  very  existence  of  Deity,  shall  assemble  to 
adore  the  majesty  of  heaven,  and  to  sing  with  hearts  of  devo- 
tion the  praises  of  the  incarnate  Saviour But  the  thought 

seems  too  great  to  be  realize'd.  Can  this  darkness  be  re- 
moved ?  Can  these  dry  bones  live  ?  On  Thee,  Jesus,  all  our 
hopes  depend.  In  Thee  all  power  is  vested,  even  power  to 
make  sinful  creatures  instrumental  in  enlightening  the 
heathen. 

"You  want  to  hear  of  some  poor  benighted  Burman 
brought  to  taste  that  the  Lord  is  gracious  ;  but  O,  not  more 
than  I  want  to  speak  of  it.  I  hope,  I  do  hope,  my  dear  sir 
that  we  shall  both  one  day  be  gratified." 


124  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON/RAM  JUDSON. 

On  April  4,  18 19,  even  before  the  zayat  was  completed, 
the  first  public  service  was  held.  Mr.  Judson  was  thirty- 
one  years  old,  and  had  been  in  Rangoon  nearly  six  years 
before  he  ventured  to  preach  to  a  Burman  audience  in  their 
own  tongue.  This  marks  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  Bur- 
man  mission  ;  for  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  institution 
of  public  worship  was  soon  followed  by  the  first  in  a  series 
of  conversions. 

It  was  on  June  27,  18 19,  about  seven  years  and  four 
months  after  Mr.  Judson  left  America,  and  about  six  years 
after  his  arrival  in  Rangoon,  that  he  was  permitted  to  bap- 
tize the  first  Burman  convert,  Moung  Nau.  The  secret  of 
that  sublime  faith  which  enabled  him  to  endure  without  a 
misgiving  so  many  long,  weary  years  of  sowing  without  the 
joy  of  seeing  a  single  blade  of  grain,  may  be  learned  from 
the  following  lines,  which  he  wrote  in  pencil  on  the  inner 
cover  of  a  book  which  he  was  using  in  the  compilation  of 
the  Burman  dictionary: 

"  In  joy  or  sorrow,  health  or  pain. 
Our  course  be  onward  still ; 
We  sow  on  Burmah's  barren  plain. 
We  reap  on  Zion's  hill." 

The  following  extracts  from  his  journal,  with  a  letter  ot 
Mrs.  Judson's,  afford  a  vivid  description  of  the  commence- 
ment of  public  worship  among  the  Burmans,  and  the  prog- 
ress of  that  religious  movement  which  culminated  in  the 
baptism  of  the  first  three  converts,  Moung  Nau,  Moung 
Byaa,  and  Moung  Thahlah  : 

"Aprils,  1819.  My  close  application  to  the  Burman  dic- 
tionary during  the  year  181 7,  and  my  subsequent  loss  of 
nearly  a  year  in  the  unsuccessful  attempt  to  visit  Chittagong, 
have  occasioned  a  long  interruption  in  my  journal.  Since 
my  return  to  Rangoon,  the  little  I  have  to  say  I  have  com- 
municated in  letters.  With  this  day,  a  new,  and  I  hope  im- 
portant, era  in  the  mission,  I  resume  the  journal. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  1 25 

"  To-day,  the  building  of  the  zayat  being  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced for  the  purpose,  I  called  together  a  few  people  that 
live  around  us,  and  commenced  public  worship  in  the  Bur- 
man  language.  I  say  commenced,  for,  though  I  have  frequently 
read  and  discoursed  to  the  natives,  I  have  never  before  con- 
ducted a  course  of  exercises  which  deserved  the  name  of 
public  worship,  according  to  the  usual  acceptation  of  that 
phrase  among  Christians  ;  and  though  I  began  to  preach  the 
Gospel  as  soon  as  I  could  speak  intelligibly,  I  have  thought 
it  hardly  becoming  to  apply  the  term  preaching,  since  it  has 
acquired  an  appropriate  meaning  in  modern  use,  to  my  im- 
perfect, desultory  exhortations  and  conversations.  But  I 
hope,  though  with  fear  and  trembling,  that  I  have  now  com- 
menced a  course  of  public  worship  and  regular  preaching. 
This  would  have  taken  place  just  a  year  ago,  had  I  returned 
to  Rangoon  as  I  expected,  and  still  earlier,  had  I  not  been 
under  a  Government  where  I  thought  it  prudent  to  gain  a 
considerable  acquaintance  with  the  language  before  com- 
mencing public  operations,  lest  I  should  be  unable  prop- 
erly to  vindicate  my  gonduct  when  called  to  a  judicial  ac- 
count. 

"  The  congregation  to-day  consisted  of  fifteen  persons  only, 
besides  children.  Much  disorder  and  inattention  prevailed, 
most  of  them  not  having  been  accustomed  to  attend  Burman 
worship.  May  the  Lord  grant  His  blessing  on  attempts 
made  in  great  weakness  and  under  great  disadvantages  ;  and 
all  the  glory  will  be  His. 

'■'■April  25.  Lord's  day.  Yesterday  we  completed  the  zayat, 
set  up  the  front  stairs,  and  laid  open  the  entrance  from  the 
road.  This  morning  I  took  my  seat  on  the  floor  in  the  open 
porch,  under  some  solemn  impression  of  the  great  responsi- 
bility attached  to  my  new  mode  of  life. 

"  In  the  forenoon  the  members  of  the  mission  family  came 
over  to  have  our  usual  worship,  having  concluded  to  hold  it 
for  a  few  Sundays  in  the  zayat,  rather  than  in  the  house,  in 
order  to  give  the  Burmans  some  idea  of  the  place. 

"In  the  afternoon  our  people  came  together,  and  several 
came  in  from  the  road,  so  that  we  had  an  assembly  of  be- 


1-26  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

tween  twenty-five  and  thirty,  besides  children.  At  the  close 
of. the  service  I  distributed  several  tracts  to  the  strangers. 

^^ April  28.  Nothing  interesting  through  the  day.  At 
night,  encountered  a  bitter  opposer ;  he  had  visited  Bengal, 
and  some  foe  to  missions  had  poisoned  his  mind  ;  he  mani- 
fested a  most  virulent  spirit.  I  felt  that  he  would  most 
•gladly  be  foremost  in  destroying  us.  But  through  divine 
grace  I  was  enabled  to  treat  him  with  meekness  and  gentle- 
ness, and  he  finally  left  me  politely.  He  appeared  to  be  rich, 
and  had  several  followers.  -In  the  evening  there  were  some 
hopeful  appearances  in  Mrs.  Judson's  female  meeting — a 
meeting  which  she  has  recommenced  since  public  worship 
has  been  set  up  in  the  zayat. 

"  April  2g.  A  precious  case  has  just  occurred.  A  young 
man  of  twenty-four,  by  name  Moung  Koo,  happened  to  stroll 
in  last  Sunday,  and  was  present  at  worship.  He  appeared  to 
be  rather  wild  and  noisy,  though  his  manners  were  respectful. 
He  took  a  tract,  and  went  away.  This  morning  he  made  his 
appearance  again,  and  has  been  with  me  about  two  hours.  I 
have  been  enabled,  through  divine  assistance,  to  give  him  a 
great  deal  of  truth,  and  especially  to  expatiate  with  some  feel- 
ing on  the  love  and  sufferings  of  the  Saviour.  The  truth 
seems  to  have  taken  hold  of  his  mind. 

'^  April  30.  I  was  agreeably  surprised  in  the  morning  to 
see  the  young  man  of  yesterday  come  again  so  soon.  He 
stayed  all  the  forenoon,  and  seemed  desirous  of  hearing  as 
much  as  possible  about  religion.  Several  others  came  and 
went.  A  very  busy  day  ;  hardly  time  to  prepare  these  min- 
utes to  be  forwarded  by  a  vessel  which  leaves  this  port  for 
Bengal  early  to-morrow  morning. 

'■'■  Alay  I,  1819.  Burman  day  of  worship  ;  of  course  many 
visitors  ;  among  the  rest,  Moung  Nau,  a  man  who  was  with 
me  several  hours  yesterday  ;  but,  from  his  silence  and  reserve, 
excited  little  attention  or  hope.  To-da)^,  however,  I  begin  to 
think  better  of  him.  Moung  Koo  came  again  at  night,  and 
appeared  pretty  well.  These  two  men,  with  the  two  persons 
from  Kambet,  of  the  27th,  I  call  the  fruits  of  the  week.  But 
let  us  see  who  of  them  will  remember  the  day  of  worship. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


127 


^^ May  2,  Lord's  day.  About  three  o'clock  the  quiet  and 
modest  Moung  Nau  came  in  and  took  his  usual  place.  For 
the  others  we  looked  in  vain.  About  thirty  present  at  wor- 
ship. Very  few  paid  much  attention,  or  probably  received 
any  benefit. 

^^Alay  3.  Among  the  visitors  of  to-day  was  a  respectable 
man,  formerly  an  officer,  now  a  merchant,  resident  at  Little 
Bridge,  a  village  contiguous  to  Kambet.  After  long  and 
various  conversation,  in  which  he  paid  close  and  respectful 
attention,  he  said  that  he  was  a  person  not  a  little  versed  in 
Burman  literature,  but  that  he  now  saw  he  had  erred  in  all  ; 
he  regretted  that  he  had  lived  two  years  in  the  neighborhood 
without  knowing  me  ;  to-day  was  an  auspicious  day  ;  he 
wished  to  become  my  disciple,  would  read  my  writings  with 
attention,  and  come  as  often  as  possible. 

''May  5.  Moung  Nau  has  been  with  me  several  hours.  I 
begin  to  think  that  the  grace  of  God  has  reached  his  heart. 
He  expresses  sentiments  of  repentance  for  his  sins,  and  faith 
in  the  Saviour.  The  substance  of  his  profession  is,  that  from 
the  darknesses,  and  uncleannesses,  and  sins  of  his  whole  life, 
he  has  found  no  other  Saviour  but  Jesus  Christ ;  nowhere 
else  can  he  look  for  salvation  ;  and  therefore  he  proposes  to 
adhere  to  Christ,  and  worship  Him  all  his  life  long. 

"  It  seems  almost  too  much  to  believe  that  God  has  begun 
to  manifest  His  grace  to  the  Burmans  ;  but  this  day  I  could 
not  resist  the  delightful  conviction  that  this  is  really  the  case. 
Praise  and  glory  be  to  His  name  forevermore.     Amen. 

''May  6.  Moung  Nau  was  again  with  me  a  great  part  of 
the  day.  He  appears  to  be  slowly  growing  in  religious 
knowledge,  and  manifests  a  teachable,  humble  spirit,  ready 
to  believe  all  that  Christ  has  said,  and  obey  all  that  He  has 
commanded.  He  is  thirty-five  years  old  ;  no  family,  mid- 
dling abilities,  quite  poor,  obliged  to  work  for  his  living,  and 
therefore  his  coming,  day  after  day,  to  hear  the  truth,  affords 
stronger  evidence  that  it  has  taken  hold  of  his  mind.  May 
the  Liord  graciously  lead  his  dark  mind  into  all  the  truth,  and 
cause  him  to  cleave  inviolably  to  the  blessed  Saviour. 

"  May  8.     Burman  day  of  worship.     Thronged  with  visit- 


128  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON/RAM  JUDSON. 

ors  through  the  day.  Had  more  or  less  company,  without 
intermission,  for  about  eight  hours.  Several  heard  much  of 
the  Gospel,  and  engaged  to  come  again.  Moung  Nau  was 
with  me  a  great  part  of  the  day,  and  assisted  me  much  in  ex- 
plaining things  to  new-comers. 

^^  May  9.  Lord's  day.  Moung  Shwaa  Oo  came  in  the 
morning,  and  stayed  through  the  whole  day.  Only  two  or 
three  of  all  I  conversed  with  yesterday  came  again.  Had, 
however,  an  assembly  of  thirty.  After  worship,  some  warm 
disputation.  I  begin  to  feel  that  the  Burmans  can  not  stand 
before  the  truth.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  Moung 
Nau  declared  himself  a  disciple  of  Christ,  in  presence  of  a 
considerable  number  ;  and  even  Moung  Shwaa  Oo  appeared 
to  incline  the  same  way. 

^'' May  10.  Early  in  the  morning,  Moung  Nau  came  to 
take  leave,  being  obliged  to  go  to  a  distance  after  timber,  his 
usual  occupation.  I  took  him  alone  and  prayed  with  him, 
and  gave  him  a  written  prayer  to  help  him  in  his  private 
devotion. 

"  Heard  much  to-day  of  the  danger  of  introducing  a  new 
religion.  All  agreed  in  opinion  that  the  king  would  cut  off 
all  who  embraced  it,  being  a  king  who  could  not  bear  that 
his  subjects  should  differ  in  sentiment  from  himself  ;  and 
who  has,  for  a  long  time,  persecuted  the  friends  of  the  estab- 
lished religion  of  the  empire,  because  they  would  not  sanc- 
tion all  his  innovations.  Those  who  seemed  most  favorably 
disposed  whispered  me  that  I  had  better  not  stay  in  Rangoon 
and  talk  to  common  people,  but  go  directly  to  the  '■  lord  of 
life  and  death.'  If  he  approved  of  the  religion,  it  would  spread 
rapidly  ;  but,  in  the  present  state  of  things,  nobody  would 
dare  to  prosecute  their  inquiries,  with  the  fear  of  the  king 
before  their  eyes.  They  brought  forward  the  case  of  the 
Kolans,  a  sect  of  Burmans  who  have  been  proscribed  and 
put  to  death  under  several  reigns.  I  tried  to  set  them  right 
in  some  points,  and  encourage  them  to  trust  in  the  care  of 
an  almighty  Saviour  ;  but  they  speak  low  and  look  around 
fearfully  when  they  mention  the  name  of  the  '  owner  of  the 
sword.' 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


129 


"J/iyi3.  Hadcompany  all  day,  without  intermission.  About 
noon,  Moung  Nau  came  in,  having  given  up  his  journey  on 
account  of  the  unfaithfulness  of  his  employer.  His  behavior 
and  conversation  were  very  satisfactory.  He  regrets  the  want 
of  a  believing  associate,  but  declares  his  determination  of  ad- 
hering to  Christ,  though  no  Burman  should  ever  join  him. 

^'  May  15.  Moung  Nau  has  been  with  me  all  day,  as  well 
as  yesterday.  He  is  anxious  to  be  received  into  our  com- 
pany, and  thinks  it  a  great  privilege  to  be  the  first  among 
the  Burmans  in  professing  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
has  been  told  plainly  that  he  has  nothing  to  expect  in  this 
world  but  persecution,  and  perhaps  death  ;  but  he  thinks  it 
better  to  die  for  Christ,  and  be  happy  hereafter,  than  to  live 
a  few  days  and  be  forever  wretched.  All  the  members  of  the 
mission  have,  at  different  times,  conversed  with  him,  and  are 
satisfied  that  a  work  of  grace  is  begun  in  his  heart. 

'■'■May  17.  Moung  Nau  has  received  an  advantageous 
offer  to  go  to  Ava,  in  the  employ  of  a  boat-owner.  We  were 
afraid  to  dissuade  him  from  accepting,  as  he  has  no  way  of 
getting  a  living,  and  equally  unwilling  to  have  him  absent 
several  months.  At  length  we  advised  him  not  to  go,  and  he 
at  once  acquiesced. 

'■'■May  22.  We  have  taken  Moung  Nau  to  live  with  us,  in- 
tending to  employ  him  in  copying  some  small  things  for  dis- 
tribution which  we  can  not  get  printed  at  present,  and  allow 
him  ten  ticals  a  month.  Our  principal  object,  however,  is  to 
keep  him  in  the  way  of  instruction,  hoping  that  he  will 
ultimately  be  useful  to  his  countrymen. 

"  At  night,  Moung  A  came  the  second  time,  and  appeared 
anxious  to  know  the  way  of  salvation.  But  I  am  grieved  to 
find  that  he  is  going  away  on  business  to-morrow  morning, 
and  will  be  absent  a  long  time. 

'■'■June  6.  Lord's  day.  Had  two  interesting  visitors.  They 
were  present  at  worship,  and  stayed  till  dark — certain  they 
should  come  again — but  will  they  ? 

"After  partaking  of  the  Lord's  supper  in  the  evening,  we 
read    and   considered  the   following  letter  of   Moung    Nau 
which  he  wrote  of  his  own  accord  : 
9 


I30  THE  LIFE  OF  A  BOX IR  AM  JUDSON. 

"*I,  Moung  Nau,  the  constant  recipient  of  your  excellent 
favor,  approach  your  feet.  Whereas  my  Lord's  three  have 
come  to  the  country  of  Burmah, — not  for  the  purposes  of 
trade,  but  to  preach  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  eternal  God, — I,  having  heard  and  understood,  am,  with 
a  joyful  mind,  filled  with  love. 

"  '  I  believe  that  the  divine  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  suffered  death, 
in  the  place  of  men,  to  atone  for  their  sins.  Like  a  heavy- 
laden  man,  I  feel  my  sins  are  very  many.  The  punishment 
of  my  sins  I  deserve  to  suffer.  Since  it  is  so,  do  you,  sirs, 
consider  that  I,  taking  refuge  in  the  merits  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  receiving  baptism,  in  order  to  become  His  dis- 
ciple, shall  dwell  one  with  yourselves,  a  band  of  brothers,  in 
the  happiness  of  heaven,  and  therefore  grant  me  the  ordi- 
nance of  baptism.*  It  is  through  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ 
that  you,  sirs,  have  come  by  ship  from  one  country  and  con- 
tinent to  another,  and  that  we  have  met  together.  I  pray  my 
Lord's  three  that  a  suitable  day  may  be  appointed,  and  that 
I  may  receive  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 

" '  Moreover,  as  it  is  only  since  I  have  met  with  you,  sirs, 
that  I  have  known  about  the  eternal  God,  I  venture  to  pray 
that  you  will  still  unfold  to  me  the  religion  of  God,  that  my 
old  disposition  may  be  destroyed,  and  my  new  disposition 
improved.' 

"We  have  all,  for  some  time,  been  satisfied  concerning  the 
reality  of  his  religion,  and  therefore  voted  to  receive  him 
into  church  fellowship,  on  his  being  baptized,  and  proposed 
next  Sunday  for  administering  the  ordinance. 

^'June  20.  Lord's  day.  For  the  last  fortnight,  have  had 
but  little  company  at  the  zayat,  owing  probably  to  the  rains, 
which  have  now  fully  set  in  The  town  has  also  been  in 
great  confusion  in  prospect  of  the  viceroy's  departure  for 
Ava.  We  have  been  called  on  to  pay  another  tax  of  fifteen 
ticals — got  off  with  paying  half.     Have  had    several    other 


*  At  the  time  of  writing  thi«,  not  having  heard  much  of  baptism,  he  seems  to  have 
ascribed  an  undue  efficacv-  to  the  ordinance.  He  has  since  corrected  his  error ;  but 
the  translator  thinks  it  the  most  fair  and  impartial  to  give  the  letter  just  as  it  was 
written  at  first. 


LIFE  IX  I?.4A'G00.V. 


131 


molestations  from  petty  officers  of  Government.  Concluded 
to  postpone  Moung  Nau's  baptism  till  the  viceroy  be  fairly 
off. 

'■^June  21.  The  town  is  in  the  utmost  anxiety  and  alarm. 
Order  after  order  has  reached  our  viceroy  to  hasten  his  return 
to  Ava,  with  all  the  troops  under  arms.  Great  news  are 
whispered.  Some  say  there  is  a  rebellion  ;  some  say  the 
king  is  sick,  some  that  he  is  dead.  But  none  dare  to  say  this 
plainly.  It  would  be  a  crime  of  the  first  magnitude  ;  for  the 
'^  lord  of  land  and  water'  is  called  immortal.  The  eldest  son 
of  his  eldest  son  (his  father  being  dead)  has  long  been  de- 
clared the  heir  of  the  crown  ;  but  he  has  two  very  powerful 
uncles,  who,  it  is  supposed,  will  contest  his  right  ;  and  in  all 
probability  the  whole  country  will  soon  be  a  scene  of  anarchy 
and  civil  war. 

^'■Jicrie  22.  Out  all  the  morning,  listening  for  news,  un- 
certain whether  a  day  or  an  hour  will  not  plunge  us  into  the 
greatest  distress.  The  whole  place  is  sitting  in  sullen  silence, 
expecting  an  explosion.  About  10  o'clock,  a  royal  dispatch- 
boat  pulls  up  to  the  shore.  An  imperial  mandate  is  produced. 
The  crowds  make  way  for  the  sacred  messengers,  and  follow 
them  to  the  high  court,  where  the  authorities  of  the  place 
are  assembled.  Listen  ye  :  The  immortal  king,  wearied,  it 
would  seem,  with  the  fatigues  of  royalty,  has  gone  up  to 
amuse  himself  in  the  celestial  regions.  His  grandson,  the 
heir-apparent,  is  seated  on  the  throne.  The  young  monarch 
enjoins  on  all  to  remain  quiet,  and  wait  his  imperial  orders. 

"  It  appears  that  the  Prince  of  Toung  Oo,  one  of  his  uncles, 
has  been  executed,  with  his  family  and  adherents,  and  the 
Prince  of  Pyee  placed  in  confinement.  There  has  probably 
been  bloody  work  ;  but  it  seems,  from  what  has  transpired, 
that  the  business  has  been  settled  so  expeditiously  that  the 
distant  provinces  will  not  feel  the  shock. 

^'/une  23.  Had  some  encouraging  conversation  with 
Moung  Thah-lah,  a  young  man  who  has  been  living  in  our 
yard  several  months.  He  has  lately  made  me  several  visits 
at  the  zayat,  and  appeared  very  thoughtful  and  teachable. 
To-day.  on  being  asked  the  state  of  his  mind,  he  replied,  with 


132  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

some  feeling,  that  he  and  all  men  were  sinners,  and  exposed 
to  future  punishment  ;  that  according  to  the  Buddhist  sys- 
tem, there  was  no  way  of  pardon  ;  but  that  according  to  the 
religion  which  I  taught,  there  was  not  only  a  way  of  pardon, 
but  a  way  of  enjoying  endless  happiness  in  heaven  ;  and  that, 
therefore,  he  wanted  to  believe  in  Christ.  I  stated  to  him,  as 
usual,  that  he  must  think  much  on  the  love  of  Christ,  and 
pray  to  God  for  an  enlightened  and  loving  heart,  and  then 
gave  him  a  form  of  prayer  suited  to  his  case. 

"  In  the  female  evening  meeting,  his  sister,  Ma  Baik,  whose 
husband  also  lives  in  our  yard,  manifested  considerable  feel- 
ing, especially  when  Mrs.  Judson  prayed  with  her  alone, 
and  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  obtain  an  interest  in  the 
Saviour. 

'''■June  27.  Lord's  day.  There  were  several  strangers  pres- 
ent at  worship.  After  the  usual  course,  I  called  Moung  Nau 
before  me,  read  and  commented  on  an  appropriate  portion 
of  Scripture,  asked  him  several  questions  concerning  his 
faif/i,  hope,  and  love,  and  made  the  baptismal  prayer,  having 
concluded  to  have  all  the  preparatory  exercises  done  in  the 
zayat.  We  then  proceeded  to  a  large  pond  in  the  vicinity, 
the  bank  of  which  is  graced  with  an  enormous  image  of 
Gaudama,  and  there  administered  baptism  to  the  first  Burman 
convert.  O,  may  it  prove  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  bap- 
tisms in  the  Burman  empire  which  shall  continue  in  uninter- 
rupted succession  to  the  end  of  time  ! 

"July  4.  Lord's  day.  We  have  had  the  pleasure  of  sitting 
down,  for  the  first  time,  to  the  Lord's  table  with  a  converted 
Burman  ;  and  it  was  my  privilege — a  privilege  to  which  I 
have  been  looking  forward  with  desire  for  many  years — to 
administer  the  Lord's  supper  in  two  languages.  And  now 
let  me,  in  haste,  close  my  journal  for  transmission  to  the 
Board." 

Letter  from  Mrs.  Judson. 

"  Rangoon  Mission-House,  yzttie  2, 1819. 
"  In  my  last,  I  mentioned  Mr.  Judson's  commencing  public 
preaching  in  a  building  which  we  had  erected  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  which  you  will  in  future  know  by  the  name  zayaf. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


IZ 


Little  did  I  think,  when  I  last  wrote,  that  I  should  so  soon 
have  the  joyful  intelligence  to  communicate  that  one  Burman 
has  embraced  the  Christian  religion,  and  given  good  evidence 
of  being  a  true  disciple  of  the  dear  Redeemer.  This  event, 
this  single  trophy  of  victorious  grace,  has  filled  our  hearts 
with  sensations  hardly  to  be  conceived  by  Christians  in 
Christian  countries.  This  event  has  convinced  us  that 
God  can  and  does  operate  on  the  minds  of  the  most  dark 
and  ignorant,  and  that  He  makes  His  own  truths.  His  own 
word,  the  instrument  of  operation.  It  serves  to  encourage  us 
to  hope  that  the  Lord  has  other  chosen  ones  in  this  place." 

"y>//)'  lo.  Some  pleasant  conversation  with  Moung  Thah- 
lah.  Seldom  a  day  passes  in  which  he  does  not  spend  an 
hour  or  two  Avith  me  or  Moung  Nau.  This  man  is  rather 
superior  to  the  common  Burmans  in  point  of  abilities,  and, 
though  not  very  learned,  he  has  read  much  more  than  the 
generality.  He  is  much  superior  to  any  one  resident  on  our 
premises,  and,  if  converted,  would  be  a  valuable  acquisition 
to  the  mission. 

^^  July  12.  Considerable  company  all  day.  Moung  E, 
whose  name  I  have  not  yet  mentioned,  though  he  has  made 
several  visits,  broke  through  his  usual  reserve,  and  acknowl- 
edged his  love  for  this  religion,  and  thought  he  should  be- 
come a  disciple,  and  not  return  to  Tavoy,  whence  he  lately 
came  on  some  Government  business.  Moung  Thah-lah  ap- 
pears to  be  really  earnest  in  his  desires  to  become  a  disciple 
of  Christ. 

^'July  19.  Had  some  particular  conversation  with  Moung 
Thah-lah  on  his  spiritual  state.  He  says  that  the  more  he 
reads  and  hears  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  more  inclined 
he  becomes  to  believe  and  embrace  it,  but  fears  that  his 
weakness  and  sinfulness  incapacitate  him  for  keeping  its 
holy  precepts  as  it  becomes  a  professing  disciple. 

^^/uly  2g.  Finished  revising  the  tract  for  a  new  edition. 
Have  considerably  enlarged  it,  particularly  by  adding  several 
prayers  ;  so  that  it  now  stands,  '  A  View  of  the  Christian 
Religion,  in  four  Parts,  Historical,  Practical,  Preceptive,  and 


134  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOFT. 

Devotional.'  We  intend  sending  the  manuscript  to  Seram- 
pore,  with  a  request  to  brother  Hough  that  he  will  get  it 
printed  in  a  large  edition  of  five  thousand  copies.  The  first 
edition,  of  one  thousand,  is  nearly  exhausted.  Such,  indeed, 
is  the  demand  for  it  since  the  opening  of  the  zayat,  that  we 
should  have  given  away  all  the  copies  long  ago,  had  we  not 
been  doubtful  about  a  fresh  supply. 

^^Aiigust  7.  Brother  Wheelock  embarked  for  Bengal,  but 
in  so  low  a  state  that  we  fear  the  voyage,  instead  of  being 
beneficial,  will  tend  to  shorten  his  life. 

"August  8.  Lord's  day.  Several  strangers  present  at  wor- 
ship ;  a  larger  assembly  than  usual. 

"August  21.  Have  not  lately  mentioned  Moung  Thahlah, 
though  he  has  continued  to  visit  me  regularly.  To-day  I 
had  a  conversation  with  him,  that  almost  settled  my  mind 
that  he  is  really  a  renewed  man.  He,  however,  thinks  he  is 
not,  because  he  finds  his  heart  so  depraved  that  he  can  not 
perfectly  keep  the  pure  commands  of  Christ. 

"August  22.  Lord's  day.  After  worship,  had  another  con- 
versation with  Moung  Thah-lah.  He  hopes  that  he  is  a  dis- 
ciple of  Jesus  Christ  in  heart,  but  wants  to  know  whether  a 
profession  of  religion  is  indispensable  to  salvation.  He  fears 
the  persecution  that  may  hereafter  come  on  those  who  for- 
sake the  established  religion  of  the  empire.  I  gave  him  such 
explanation  as  I  thought  suitable,  and  left  him  with  the 
solemn  consideration,  that  unless  he  loved  Christ  above  his 
own  life,  he  did  not  love  Him  sincerely,  and  ought  not  to 
hope  that  He  is  interested  in  his  redemption. 

"August  24.  Another  conversation  with  Moung  Thah-lah, 
which  at  length  forces  me  to  admit  the  conviction  that  he  is 
a  real  convert ;  and  I  venture  to  set  him  down  the  second 
disciple  of  Christ  among  the  Burmans.  He  appears  to  have 
all  the  characteristics  of  a  new-born  soul,  and  though  rather 
timid  in  regard  to  an  open  profession,  has,  I  feel  satisfied, 
that  love  to  Christ  which  will  increase  and  bring  him  for- 
ward in  due  time. 

"August  2,1.  A  man,  by  name  Moung  Ing,  has  visited  the 
zayat  five  or  six  days   in   succession.     At  first,  a  variety  of 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


^35 


Other  company  prevented  my  attending  much  to  him,  and  he 
conversed  chiefly  with  Moung  Nau,  and  employed  himself  in 
reading  Matthew.  He  once  told  Moung  Nau  that  he  had 
long  been  looking  after  the  true  religion,  and  was  ready  to 
wish  that  he  had  been  born  a  brute,  rather  than  to  die  in 
delusion,  and  go  to  hell.  Sunday  I  conversed  with  him 
largely,  and  his  attention  during  worship  was  very  close  and 
solemn.  To-day  he  has  made  me  half  inclined  to  believe 
that  a  work  of  grace  is  begun  in  his  soul.  He  says  that  he 
formerly  had  some  idea  of  an  eternal  God  from  his  mother, 
who  was  christened  a  Roman  Catholic,  in  consequence  of  her 
connection  with  a  foreigner  ;  but  that  the  idea  was  never 
rooted  in  his  mind  until  he  fell  in  with  the  zayat.  Within  a 
few  days  he  has  begun  to  pray  to  this  God.  He  is  quite 
sensible  of  his  sins,  and  of  the  utter  inefhcacy  of  the  Buddhist 
religion,  but  is  yet  in  the  dark  concerning  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, and  says  that  he  wants  to  know  more  of  Christ,  that  he 
may  love  Him  more.  Lord  Jesus,  give  him  the  saving  knowl- 
edge of  Thine  adorable  self  ! 

'■'•September  i.  Moung  Thah-lah  continues  to  express  sim- 
ilar sentiments  to  those  already  noted  ;  is  still  afraid  of  per- 
secution and  death,  but  professes  to  be  laboring  to  obtain 
that  love  to  Christ,  and  faith  in  Him,  which  will  raise  him 
above  the  fear  of  man  ;  and  particularly  requests  us  to  pray 
that  he  may  obtain  these  graces. 

^'■September  3.  A  great  crowd  of  company  through  the 
whole  day,  the  teacher  Moungf  Shwa-gnong,  from  ten  o'clock 
till  quite  dark,  with  several  of  his  adherents.  He  is  a  com- 
plete Proteus  in  religion,  and  I  never  know  where  to  find 
him.  We  went  over  a  vast  deal  of  ground,  and  ended  where 
we  began,  in  apparent  incredulity.  After  his  adherents,  how- 
ever, were  all  gone,  he  conversed  with  some  feeling  ;  owned 
that  he  knew  nothing,  and  wished  me  to  instruct  him  ;  and 
when  he  departed,  he  prostrated  himself,  and  performed  the 
sheeko — an  act  of  homage  which  a  Burman  never  performs 
but  to  an  acknowledged  superior. 

"After  he  was  gone,  Moung  In^,  who  has  been  listening  all 
day,  followed  me  home  to  the  house,  being  invited  to  stay 


136  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSON. 

with  Moung  Nau  through  the  night.  We  conversed  all  the 
evening,  and  his  expressions  have  satisfied  us  all  that  he  is 
one  of  God's  chosen  people.  His  exercises  have  been  of  a 
much  stronger  character  than  those  of  the  others,  and  he  ex- 
presses himself  in  the  most  decided  manner.  He  desires  to 
become  a  disciple  in  profession,  as  well  as  to  be  in  Christ, 
and  declares  his  readiness  to  suffer  persecution  and  death 
for  the  love  of  Christ.  When  I  stated  the  danger  to  which 
he  was  exposing  himself,  and  asked  him  whether  he  loved 
Christ  better  than  his  own  life,  he  replied,  very  deliberately 
and  solemnly,  'When  I  meditate  on  this  religion,  I  know  not 
what  it  is  to  love  my  own  life.'  Thus  the  poor  fisherman, 
Moung  Ing,  is  taken,  while  the  learned  teacher,  Moung  Shwa- 
gnong,  is  left. 

'■'■September  5.  Lord's  day.  A  very  dull  day  —  not  one 
stranger  present  at  worship.  In  the  evening  Moung  Thah-lah 
was  a  spectator  of  our  partaking  of  the  Lord's  supper. 
Moung  Ing  could  not  be  present.  He  lives  at  some  distance, 
and  is  getting  ready  to  go  to  sea,  pursuant  to  his  purpose  be- 
fore he  became  acquainted  with  us.  We  have  endeavored 
to  dissuade  him  from  going,  and  to  keep  him  near  us  ;  but 
we  are  afraid  that  his  circumstances  will  not  allow  him  to 
comply  with  our  advice  and  his  own  inclinations. 

"  September  6.  Spent  the  evening  in  conversing  with 
Moung  Byaa,  a  man  who,  with  his  family,  has  lived  near  us 
for  some  time,  a  regular  attendant  on  worship,  an  indefati- 
gable scholar  in  the  evening-s<?hool,  where  he  has  learned  to 
read,  though  fifty  years  old,  and  a  remarkably  moral  char- 
acter. In  my  last  conversation,  some  time  ago,  he  appeared 
to  be  a  thorough  legalist,  relying  solely  on  his  good 
works,  but  yet  sincerely  desirous  of  knowing  and  embracing 
the  truth.  The  greater  part  of  the  evening  was  spent  in 
discussing  his  erroneous  views  ;  his  mind  seemed  so  dark 
and  dull  of  apprehension,  that  I  was  almost  discouraged. 
Toward  the  close,  however,  he  seemed  to  obtain  some  evan- 
gelical discoveries,  and  to  receive  the  humbling  truths  of  the 
Gospel  in  a  manner  which  encourages  us  to  hope  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  has  begun  to  teach  him.     The  occasion  of  this 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


137 


conversation  was  my  hearing  that  he  said  that  he  intended 
to  become  a  Christian,  and  be  baptized  with  Moung  Thah-lah. 
He  accordingly  professes  a  full  belief  in  the  eternal  God  and 
His  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

"  September  7.  Am  grieved  that  Moung  Ing  comes  no  more. 
Presume  he  has  gone  off,  contrary  to  our  advice,  and  was 
reluctant  to  take  leave  of  us  under  such  circumstances. 

'■'■September  10.  Surprised  by  a  visit  from  Moung  Ing. 
It  appears  that  he  has  been  confined  at  work  on  board  the 
vessel  in  which  he  is  engaged,  and  has  not  been  ashore  for 
several  days.  As  the  vessel  is  certainly  going  to-morrow, 
he  got  leave  of  absence  for  a  short  time,  and  improved  it  in 
running  out  to  the  zayat.  I  was  exceedingly  glad,  as  it 
afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  giving  him  some  parting  in- 
structions, and  praying  with  him  alone.  He  appears  very 
well  indeed.  He  is  quite  distressed  that  he  has  so  far  en- 
gaged himself,  and  appears  desirous  of  getting  off,  and 
returning  to  us,  if  possible  ;  but  I  have  very  little  hope  of  his 
succeeding.  I  believe,  however,  that  he  is  a  real  Christian, 
and  that,  whenever  he  dies,  his  immortal  soul  will  be  safe, 
and  that  he  will  praise  God  forever  for  his  transient  ac- 
quaintance with  us.     The  Lord  go  with  him  and  keep  him. 

^'■September  11.  Moung  Shwa-gnong  has  been  with  me  all 
day.  It  appears  that  he  accidentally  obtained  the  idea  of 
an  eternal  Being  about  eight  years  ago  ;  and  it  has  been 
floating  about  in  his  mind,  and  disturbing  his  Buddhistic 
ideas  ever  since.  When  he  heard  of  us,  which  was  through 
one  of  his  adherents,  to  whom  I  had  given  a  tract,  this  idea 
received  considerable  confirmation  ;  and  to-day  he  has  fully 
admitted  the  truth  of  this  first  grand  principle.  The  latter 
part  of  the  day  we  were  chiefly  employed  in  discussing  the 
possibility  and  necessity  of  a  divine  revelation,  and  the  evi- 
dence which  proves  that  the  writings  of  the  apostles  of  Jesus, 
contain  that  revelation  ;  and  I  think  I  may  say  that  he  is 
half  inclined  to  admit  all  this.  He  is  certainly  a  most  inter- 
esting case.  The  way  seems  to  be  prepared  in  his  mind  foi 
the  special  operation  of  divine  grace.  Come,  Holy  Spirit. 
heavenly  Dove  ! 


138  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  His  conversion  seems  peculiarly  desirable,  on  account 
of  his  superior  talents  and  extensive  acquaintance  with  Bur- 
mese and  Pali  literature.  He  is  the  most  powerful  reasoner 
I  have  yet  met  with  in  this  country,  excepting  my  old 
teacher,  Oo  Oungmen  (now  dead),  and  he  is  not  at  all  in- 
ferior to  him. 

"  September  26.  Lord's  day.  Moung  Shwa-gnong  came,  with 
several  adherents.  Some  warm  conversation  before  wor- 
ship, but  nothing  personal.  During  worship,  discoursed 
from  '  Fear  not  them  that  kill  the  body,'  etc.  My  discourse 
was  chiefly  intended  for  Moung  Thah-lah  and  Moung  Byaa  ; 
but  the  latter  was  absent  on  account  of  sickness.  After  wor- 
ship the  teacher  immediately  departed  with  his  people,  with- 
out even  saying  a  word.     Fear  he  has  taken  some  offence. 

"  October  5.  Received  a  visit  from  the  teacher.  My 
hopes  of  his  conversion  are  very  low.  He  is  settling  down 
in  Deism,  and  evidently  avoids  all  conversation  of  a  per- 
sonal nature. 

"  October  6.  Conversation  with  Moung  Thah  -  lah  and 
Moung  Byaa,  which  revives  my  hopes  of  their  coming  for- 
ward before  long.  They  are  both  growing  in  religious 
knowledge,  and  give  evidence  of  being  in  the  exercise  of 
gracious  feelings. 

"  October  7.  Was  rejoiced  in  the  morning  to  see  the 
teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  come  again  so  soon.  We  spent 
the  whole  day  together,  uninterrupted  by  other  company. 
In  the  forenoon,  he  was  as  crabbed  as  possible  ;  sometimes 
a  Berkeleian,  sometimes  a  Humeite  or  complete  skeptic. 
But  in  the  afternoon  he  got  to  be  more  reasonable,  and  be- 
fore he  left  he  obtained  a  more  complete  idea  of  the  atone- 
ment than  I  have  commonly  been  able  to  communicate  to  a 
Burman.  He  exclaimed,  'That  is  suitable;  that  is  as  it 
should  be,'  etc.  But  whether  this  conviction  resulted  from 
a  mere  philosophic  view  of  the  propriety  and  adaptedness 
of  the  way  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ,  or  from  the 
gracious  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  time  must  discover. 
I  hardly  venture  to  hope  the  latter.  O  Lord,  the  work  is 
Thine  !     O  come,  Holy  Spirit ! 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


139 


"  October  23.  Have  for  some  days  been  wondering  at  the 
long  absence  of  the  teacher.  To-day  heard  a  report  that  he 
has  been  summoned  by  the  viceroy  to  give  an  account  of  his 
heretical  sentiments. 

"At  night  Moung  Thah-lah  and  Moung  Byaa  presented  a 
paper,  professing  their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  requesting  to 
be  baptized,  but  in  private.  We  spent  some  time  with  them. 
They  appear  to  have  experienced  divine  grace  ;  but  we  ad- 
vised them,  as  they  had  so  little  love  to  Christ  as  not  to  dare 
to  die  for  His  cause,  to  wait  and  reconsider  the  matter. 

"  October  29.  The  teacher  came  again,  after  an  interval 
of  three  weeks  ;  but  he  appears  to  be  quite  another  man. 
He  has  not  been  personally  summoned,  as  we  heard  ;  but, 
through  the  instigation  of  the  Mangen  teacher,  he  was  men- 
tioned before  the  viceroy  as  having  renounced  the  religion 
of  the  country.  The  viceroy  gave  no  decisive  order,  but 
merely  said,  '  Inquire  further  about  him.'  This  reached  the 
ears  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong  ;  and  he  directly  went  to  the 
Mangen  teacher,  and,  I  suppose,  apologized,  and  explained, 
and  flattered.  He  denies  that  he  really  recanted,  and  I  hope 
he  did  not ;  but  he  is  evidently  falling  off  from  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  Christian  religion.  He  made  but  a  short  visit, 
and  took  leave  as  soon  as  he  could  decently. 

^^  November  i.  One  of  the  greatest  festivals  in  the  year. 
The  crowds  are  truly  immense  and  overwhelming.  We  va- 
cated the  zayat,  as  we  have  several  days  of  late,  beginning  to 
query  whether  it  is  prudent  to  go  on  boldly  in  proclaiming 
a  new  religion,  at  the  hazard  of  incensing  the  Government, 
and  drawing  down  such  persecution  as  may  deter  all  who 
know  us  from  any  inquiry. 

"  November  6.  The  two  candidates  for  baptism  again  pre- 
sented their  urgent  petition  that  they  might  be  baptized,  not 
absolutely  in  private,  but  about  sunset,  away  from  public 
observation.  We  spent  some  hours  in  again  discussing  the 
subject  with  them  and  with  one  another.  We  felt  satisfied 
that  they  were  humble  disciples  of  Jesus,  and  were  desirous 
of  receiving  this  ordinance  purely  out  of  regard  to  His  com- 
mand and  their  own  spiritual  welfare  ;  we  felt  that  we  were 


I40  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

all  equally  exposed  to  danger,  and  needed  a  spirit  of  mutual 
candor,  and  forbearance,  and  sympathy  ;  we  were  convinced 
that  they  were  influenced  rather  by  desires  of  avoiding  un- 
necessary exposure  than  by  that  sinful  fear  which  would 
plunge  them  into  apostasy  in  the  hour  of  trial ;  and  when 
they  assured  us  that,  if  actually  brought  before  Government, 
they  could  not  think  of  denying  their  Saviour,  we  could  not 
conscientiously  refuse  their  request,  and  therefore  agreed  to 
have  them  baptized  to-morrow  at  sunset.  The  following  is 
a  literal  translation  of  the  paper  presented  this  evening  : 

"  '  Moung  Byaa  and  Moung  Thah-lah  venture  to  address 
the  two  teachers  :  Though  the  country  of  Burmah  is  very  far 
distant  from  the  country  of  America,  yet  the  teachers,  com- 
ing by  ship  the  long  way  of  six  months,  have  arrived  at  this 
far  distant  country  of  Burmah,  and  town  of  Rangoon,  and 
proclaimed  the  propitious  news  by  means  of  which  we,  hav- 
ing become  acquainted  with  the  religion,  know  that  there  is 
an  eternal  God  in  heaven,  and  that  there  is  a  divine  Son,  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  deserving  of  the  highest  love  ;  and  we 
know  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  divine  Son,  endured, 
on  account  of  all  His  disciples,  sufferings  and  death,  even 
severe  sufferings  on  a  cross,  in  their  stead.  On  account  of 
our  sins,  we  were  like  persons  laden  with  a  very  heavy 
burden.  On  account  of  our  many  sins,  we  found  no  deliver- 
ance, no  place  of  refuge,  and  our  minds  were  distressed.  In 
this  state  remaining,  the  two  teachers  produced  the  sacred 
system  from  the  Scriptures,  and  we  became  informed  of  the 
existence  of  the  one  God,  and  of  the  facts  that  the  divine 
Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  redeemed  with  His  sacred  life 
all  who  love  and  trust  in  Him,  and,  in  order  to  save  His  dis- 
ciples from  hell,  suffered  death  in  their  stead.  Now  we  know 
that  we  have  sinned  against  the  sacred  One,  and  we  know, 
assuredly,  that  if  we  become  disciples  of  the  divine  Son,  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  shall  be  saved  from  the  hell  which  we 
deserve.  We  desire  to  become  disciples,  and  with  the  two 
teachers,  like  children  born  of  the  same  mother,  to  worship 
the  true  God,  and  observe  the  true  religion. 

"  '  On  searching  in  the  Scriptures  for  ancient  rules  and 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


141 


customs,  it  does  not  appear  that  John  and  other  baptizers 
administered  baptism  on  any  particular  time,  or  day,  or 
hour.  We,  therefore,  venture  to  beg  of  the  two  teachers, 
that  they  will  grant  that  on  the  6th  day  of  the  wane  of  the 
Tanzoungmong  moon  (November  7),  at  six  o'clock  at  night, 
we  may  this  once  receive  baptism  at  their  hands.' 

"  November  7.  Lord's  day.  We  had  worship  as  usual,  and 
the  people  dispersed.  About  half  an  hour  before  sunset,  the 
two  candidates  came  to  the  zayat,  accompanied  by  three  or 
four  of  their  friends  ;  and  after  a  short  prayer,  we  proceeded 
to  the  spot  where  Moung  Nau  was  formerly  baptized.  The 
sun  was  not  allowed  to  look  upon  the  humble,  timid  pro- 
fession. No  wondering  crowd  crowned  the  overshadowing 
hill.  No  hymn  of  praise  expressed  the  exultant  feelings  of 
joyous  hearts.  Stillness  and  solemnity  pervaded  the  scene. 
We  felt,  on  the  banks  of  the  water,  as  a  little,  feeble,  solitary 
band.  But  perhaps  some  hovering  angels  took  note  of  the 
event  with  more  interest  than  they  witnessed  the  late  coro- 
nation ;  perhaps  Jesus  looked  down  on  us,  pitied  and  forgave 
our  weaknesses,  and  marked  us  for  His  own  ;  perhaps,  if  we 
deny  Him  not,  He  will  acknowledge  us,  another  day,  more 
publicly  than  we  venture  at  present  to  acknowledge  Him. 

"  In  the  evening  we  all  united  in  commemorating  the 
dying  love  of  our  Redeemer  ;  and  I  trust  we  enjoyed  a  little 
of  His  gracious  presence  in  the  midst  of  us. 

^^  November  10.  This  evening  is  to  be  marked  as  the  date 
of  the  first  Burman  prayer-meeting  that  was  ever  held. 
None  present  but  myself  and  the  three  converts.  Two  of 
them  made  a  little  beginning — such  as  must  be  expected 
from  the  first  essay  of  converted  heathens.  We  agreed  to 
meet  for  this  purpose  every  Tuesday  and  Friday  evening, 
immediately  after  family  worship,  which  in  the  evening  has 
for  some  time  been  conducted  in  Burman  and  English,  and 
which  these  people,  and  occasionally  some  others,  have 
attended. 

"  November  14..  Lord's  day.  Have  been  much  gratified  to 
find  that  this  evening  the  three  converts  repaired  to  the 

ZAYAT,  AND  HELD  A  PRAYER-MEETING  OF  THEIR  OWN  ACCORD. 


142  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

'■^December  4.  Another  visit  from  Moung  Shwa-gnong 
After  several  hours  spent  in  metaphysical  cavils,  he  owned 
that  he  did  not  believe  anything  he  had  said,  and  had  only 
been  trying  me  and  the  religion,  being  determined  to  em- 
brace nothing  but  what  he  found  unobjectionable  and  im- 
pregnable. '  What,'  said  he,  '  do  you  think  that  I  would  pay 
you  the  least  attention  if  I  found  you  could  not  answer  all 
my  questions,  and  solve  all  my  difficulties?'  He  then  pro- 
ceeded to  say,  that  he  really  believed  in  God,  His  Son  Jesus 
Christ,  the  atonement,  etc.  Said  I,  knowing  his  deistical 
weakness,  '  Do  you  believe  all  that  is  contained  in  the  book 
of  Matthew,  that  I  have  given  you  ?  In  particular,  do  you 
believe  that  the  Son  of  God  died  on  a  cross  ? '  '  Ah,'  replied 
he,  '  you  have  caught  me  now.  I  believe  that  He  suffered 
death,  but  I  can  not  admit  that  He  suffered  the  shameful 
death  of  the  cross.'  '  Therefore,'  said  I,  '  you  are  not  a  dis- 
ciple of  Christ.  A  true  disciple  inquires  not  whether  a  fact 
is  agreeable  to  his  own  reason,  but  whether  it  is  in  the  book. 
His  pride  has  yielded  to  the  divine  testimony.  Teacher, 
your  pride  is  still  unbroken.  Break  down  your  pride, 
and  yield  to  the  word  of  God.'  He  stopped  and  thought. 
'As  you  utter  those  words,'  said  he,  '  I  see  my  error.  I  have 
been  trusting  in  my  own  reason,  not  in  the  word  of  God.' 
Some  interruption  now  occurred.  When  we  were  again 
alone,  he  said,  '  This  day  is  different  from  all  the  days  on 
which  I  have  visited  you.  I  see  my  error  in  trusting  in  my 
own  reason  ;  and  I  now  believe  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  be- 
cause It  is  contained  in  the  Scripture.'  Some  time  after, 
speaking  of  the  uncertainty  of  life,  he  said  he  thought  he 
should  not  be  lost,  though  he  died  suddenly.  Why  ?  '  Be- 
cause I  love  Jesus  Christ.'  '  Do  you  really  love  Him  ? '  '  No 
one  that  really  knows  Him  can  help  loving  Him.'  And  so 
he  departed." 

Just  at  this  most  interesting  period,  when  three  Burmans 
had  been  baptized  and  many  others  were  inquiring  into  the 
new  religion,  the  black  cloud  of  persecution  gathered  over  the 
heads  of  these  young  converts  and  their  Christian  teachers. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


143 


The  viceroy  of  Rangoon  regarded  with  an  unfavorable 
eye  this  attempt  to  introduce  a  new  religion.  When  in- 
formed that  a  prominent  Burman  teacher  was  about  to  re- 
nounce the  religion  of  the  empire,  he  uttered  the  ominous 
sentence:  "Inquire  further."  These  words  scattered  the 
group  of  inquirers  that  had  gathered  about  Mr.  Judson  as 
quickly  as  the  lifted  hand  disperses  a  school  of  fish.  The 
new  converts,  indeed,  stood  firm  even  under  the  peril  of  the 
confiscation  of  their  goods,  and  the  risk  of  torture  and 
death ;  but  the  work  had  come  to  a  standstill.  The  in- 
habitants of  Rangoon  did  not  even  dare  to  visit  the  foreign 
teacher.  In  these  circumstances  the  boldest  measure  seemed 
to  Mr.  Judson  the  wisest.  He  determined  to  beard  the 
lion  in  his  lair.  He  resolved  to  go  directly  to  Ava,  the 
capital  of  Burmah,  and  lay  the  whole  matter  at  the  feet  of 
the  emperor.  If  he  could  gain  from  the  Burman  monarch 
permission  to  propagate  the  Christian  religion  among  his 
subjects,  then  he  would  be  at  once  exempt  from  the  annoy- 
ance and  persecution  inflicted  by  provincial  underlings.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  he  should  fail,  matters  could  not  be 
made  any  worse,  as  news  of  this  religious  movement  would 
soon  get  to  the  ears  of  the  king.  The  nature  of  the  threat- 
ening persecution,  and  the  reasons  for  going  to  Ava,  may 
be  learned  from  Mr.  Judson's  letters  and  journals : 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Baldimit. 

"  Rangoon,  Atigust  26,  181 7. 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  I  am  at  present  wholly  absorbed  in 
the  dictionary.  I  hope  to  have  it  finished  by  the  time  that 
brother  Rice  arrives.  The  rains  make  it  difficult  for  me  to 
go  out  much  ;  and,  for  the  same  reason,  we  have  not  many 
Burman  visitors  in  our  insulated  situation.  Even  those  who 
have  visited  us  frequently,  and  acquired  some  knowledge  of 
our  religion,  and  manifested  some  spirit  of  inquiry,  are  de- 
terred from  prosecuting  their  inquiries  by  fear  of  persecution. 
I  do  not  mean  to  imply  that  all  persecution  is  to  be  dreaded, 
but  that  persecution  which  would  effectually  prevent  the  use 


144  ^^^^  ^^^"   ^^  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

of  the  means  of  grace  certainly  is.  It  is  true  that  God  will 
call  those  whom  He  has  chosen  ;  but  since  He  has  made 
means  necessary  to  the  end,  since  it  is  by  the  Gospel  of  His 
Son  that  He  calls  His  people,  it  is  certainly  as  much  the  duty 
of  His  servants  to  endeavor  to  avert  such  persecution  as 
would  effectually  prevent  the  use  of  means  as  it  is  to  use  any 
means  at  all  ;  and  we  may  reasonably  conclude  that,  when 
God  has  a  people  whom  He  is  about  to  call,  He  will  direct 
His  servants  in  such  a  course. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  God  is  preparing  the  way  for  the 
conversion  of  Burmah  to  His  Son.  Nor  have  I  any  doubt 
that  we  who  are  now  here  are,  in  some  little  degree,  con- 
tributing to  this  glorious  event.  This  thought  fills  me  with 
joy.  I  know  not  that  I  shall  live  to  see  a  single  convert ;  but, 
notwithstanding,  I  feel  that  I  would  not  leave  my  present 
situation  to  be  made  a  king." 

Extract  from  Mr.  Judson's  Journal. 

"  One  malicious  intimation  to  the  king  would  occasion  our 
banishment ;  and  banishment,  as  the  Burmans  tell  us,  is  no 
small  thing,  being  attended  with  confiscation  of  all  property, 
and  such  various  abuses  as  would  make  us  deem  ourselves 
happy  to  escape  with  our  lives. 

"  We  feel  encouraged  by  the  thought  that  many  of  the  dear 
children  of  God  remember  us  at  the  mercy-seat.  To  your 
prayers  I  desire  once  more  to  commend  myself — the  weakest, 
the  most  unqualified,  the  most  unworthy,  and  the  most  un- 
successful of  all  missionaries. 

^^November  26.  On  taking  our  usual  ride  this  morning  to 
bathe  in  the  mineral  tank,  we  were  accosted,  on  one  of  the 
pagoda  roads,  by  the  Mangen  teacher,  and  peremptorily  for- 
bidden to  ride  there  in  future  on  pain  of  being  beaten. 

"  Our  business  must  be  fairly  laid  before  the  emperor.  If 
he  frown  upon  us,  all  missionary  attempts  within  his  domin- 
ions will  be  out  of  the  question.  If  he  favor  us,  none  of  our 
enemies,  during  the  continuance  of  his  favor,  can  touch  a  hair 
of  our  heads.  But  there  is  a  greater  than  the  emperor,  before 
whose  throne  we    desire    daily  and    constantly   to   lay   this 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  145 

business.     O  Lord  Jesus,  look  upon  us  in  our  low  estate,  and 
guide  us  in  our  dangerous  course  ! " 

Extract  from  a  letter  to  Dr.  Baldwin. 

"  Rangoon,  December  9,  1819. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  Since  my  last  we  have  had  the  hap- 
piness of  baptizing  two  more  Burmans,  whose  names  are 
Moung  Thah-lah  and  Moung  Byaa  ;  the  former  a  young  man 
of  considerable  talents  and  reading  ;  the  latter  an  old  man 
of  fifty,  who  has  been  learning  to  read  in  an  evening-school. 
Moung  Nau,  the  first  convert,  continues  faithfully  attached 
to  the  cause.  Our  fourth  is  a  poor  fisherman,  whose  exer- 
cises for  a  few  days  have  been  very  strong  and  satisfactory, 
but  he  was  obliged  to  go  to  sea  before  we  thought  it  advis- 
able to  give  him  baptism.  Our  fifth  is  still  an  inquirer 
merely,  a  teacher,  of  learning  and  distinction,  and  possessed 
of  the  very  first  abilities.  But  soon  after  he  began  to  mani- 
fest an  open  attachment  to  us,  Satan  became  unusually  dis- 
turbed, and  sent  one  of  his  faithful  servants  to  the  viceroy 
with  a  complaint  that  our  friend  had  renounced  the  religion 
of  the  country.  The  viceroy  said,  '  Inquire  further,'  and 
this  portentous  sentence,  implying  that  a  renunciation  of  the 
established  religion  would  not  pass  with  impunity,  carried 
such  terror  to  the  heart  of  our  poor  Nicodemus,  that  he 
directly  fled  to  his  accuser,  made  his  peace  with  him,  and 
almost  forsook  us.  This  little  circumstance,  strange  as  it 
may  seem  to  one  living  under  a  free  government,  spread  dis- 
may among  all  our  acquaintance,  and  for  above  a  month  we 
have  been  nearly  deserted  by  all,  except  those  who  have  act- 
ually joined  us. 

"  The  new  king,  moreover,  has  remitted  the  persecution  of 
his  grandfather,  and  restored  the  priests  of  Buddh  to  their 
former  privileges  ;  so  that  all  the  devout  throughout  the 
land  are  quite  mad  on  their  idols. 

"  In  a  word,  such  is  the  state  of  things  that  though  there 
are  many,  I  am  certain,  who  have  some  desire  to  inquire 
further  into  the  Christian  religion,  they  are  afraid  to  come 
near  us. 

10 


146  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  Brother  Colman  and  myself  have,  therefore,  conduded 
to  follow  your  advice,  by  going  up  to  Ava,  and  laying  our 
business  before  the  monarch.  We  have  some  hope  that  the 
Lord  will  incline  him  to  hold  out  to  us  the  golden  sceptre, 
like  another  Ahasuerus,  and  become  a  protector  of  the  infant 
cause.  But  it  is  almost  too  great  a  favor  to  hope  for.  And 
yet  this  favor  we  must  obtain,  or  relinquish  some  of  our 
dearest  and  most  sacred  hopes.  Oh,  what  a  trying  case  ! 
None  can  know  or  experience  the  uncertainty  of  our  present 
situation.  But  we  sometimes  rest  on  the  Saviour  and  derive 
sweet  consolation  from  the  assurance  that  'our  Jesus  will  do 
all  things  well.' " 

Before  Mr.  Judson  and  Mr.  Colman  set  out  for  Ava,  the 
little  group  of  missionaries  was  thinned  by  the  departure  of 
the  Wheelocks.  Only  seven  days  after  Mr.  Wheelock  ar- 
rived in  Rangoon,  while  engaged  in  family  worship  he  had 
a  hemorrhage,  and  on  August  7,  18 19,  he  set  sail  for  Bengal. 
After  being  thirteen  days  at  sea,  during  a  period  of  tempo- 
rary delirium  he  threw  himself  into  the  ocean.  While  Mrs. 
Wheelock  was  engaged  in  writing,  and  he  apparently  lying 
asleep,  she  heard  the  cabin  door  close.  She  looked  around, 
saw  that  he  was  gone,  sprang  to  the  door,  opened  it,  and 
discovered  that  he  had  vanished  forever  from  her  sight. 
The  ship  was  sailing  with  such  speed  that  no  effort  could  be 
made  to  rescue  him.  The  death  of  this  young  man  was  a 
great  loss  to  the  infant  mission.  His  fervent  piety,  his 
sweet  and  uncomplaining  spirit,  and  his  devotion  to  the 
work  of  saving  the  heathen,  had  endeared  him  to  his  mis- 
sionary associates.  After  mentioning  in  one  of  his  letters 
that  he  and  Mr.  Colman  had  only  one  room  each,  he  adds  : 
"  We  prefer  ONE  room  in  Rangoon  to  six  in  Boston.  We 
feel  that  we  are  highly  blessed^ 


CHAPTER   VI. 

LIFE   IN   RANGOON   (CONTINUED). 
1819-1823. 

On  December  21,  18 19,  Mr.  Judson  and  Mr.  Colman, 
leaving  their  wives  alone  in  Rangoon,  began  their  journey 
up  the  Irrawaddy  to  Ava,  the  capital  of  the  empire.  The 
following  extract  from  Mr.  Judson's  journal  describes  their 
journey  up  the  river,  their  unsuccessful  visit  at  the  royal 
court,  and  their  return  to  Rangoon: 

^^  December  10.  A  few  days  ago  we  succeeded  in  purchas- 
ing a  boat  for  the  journey  to  Ava,  after  having  spent  a  whole 
week  in  the  search.  Have  since  been  employing  workmen 
to  cover  it  and  put  it  in  order. 

"  Yesterday  we  applied  to  the  viceroy  for  a  pass  to  go  up 
to  the  golden  feet,  and  lift  up  our  eyes  to  the  golden  face. 
He  granted  our  request  in  very  polite  terms. 

"  I  must  now  close  up  my  journal,  to  be  sent  on  board  ship 
to-morrow  morning.  We  expect  to  leave  Rangoon  in  about 
a  week.  My  next  will  probably  contain  some  account  of  our 
journey  up  the  river,  and  our  reception  at  court.  O  Lord, 
send  710W  prosperity  ;  yet  not  my  will,  but  Thine,  be  done." 

your7tal. 

^^ December  21.  After  having  made  arrangements  for  our 
wives*  residence  in  town  during  our  absence,  brother  Colman 
and  myself  embarked.  Our  boat  is  six  feet  wide  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  forty  feet  long.  A  temporary  deck  of  bamboos  is 
laid  throughout,  and  on  the  hinder  part  of  the  boat  the  sides 
are  raised  with   thin  boards,  and  a  covering  of  thatch,  and 

(147) 


148  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

mats  tied  on,  so  as  to  form  two  low  rooms,  in  which  we  can 
just  sit  and  lie  down.  Our  company  consists  of  sixteen  be- 
sides ourselves  :  ten  rowmen,  a  steersman,  a  head  man — 
whose  name  is  inserted  in  our  passport,  and  who,  therefore, 
derives  a  little  authority  from  Government — a  steward  or 
cook  for  the  company — which  place  is  filled  by  our  trusty 
Moung  Nau — our  own  cook,  a  Hindoo  washerman,  and  an 
Englishman,  who,  having  been  unfortunate  all  his  life,  wishes 
to  try  the  service  of  his  Burman  majesty  ;  and  this  last  per- 
sonage may  be  called  our  gunner,  he  having  charge  of  sev- 
eral guns  and  blunderbusses,  which  are  indispensable  on  ac- 
count of  the  robbers  that  infest  the  river. 

"  We  have  been  much  perplexed  in  fixing  on  a  present  for 
the  emperor,  without  which  no  person  unauthorized  can  ap- 
pear in  his  presence.  Our  funds  were  evidently  inadequate 
to  the  purchase  of  articles  which  would  be  valuable  to  him 
in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view  ;  when  we  considered,  also,  that 
there  ought  to  be  a  congruity  between  the  present  and  our 
character,  we  selected  that  book  which  we  hope  to  be  allowed 
to  translate  under  his  patronage,  the  Bible,  in  six  volumes, 
covered  with  gold  leaf,  in  Burman  style,  and  each  volume 
enclosed  in  a  rich  wrapper.  For  presents  to  other  members 
of  Government,  w^e  have  taken  several  pieces  of  fine  cloth 
and  other  articles. 

"  Thus  manned  and  furnished  we  pushed  off  from  the 
shores  of  Rangoon.  The  teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  had 
not  been  to  see  us  for  several  days,  ashamed,  probably,  of 
having  declined  accompanying  us  ;  but  just  as  we  were  push- 
ing off,  we  saw  his  tall  form  standing  on  the  wharf.  He 
raised  his  hand  to  his  head,  and  bade  us  adieu,  and  continued 
looking  after  the  boat  until  a  projecting  point  shut  Rangoon 
and  all  its  scenes  from  our  view.  When  shall  we  redouble 
this  little  point  ?  Through  what  shall  we  pass  ere  the  scene 
now  snatched  away  be  re-presented  ?  The  expedition  on 
which  we  have  entered,  however  it  may  terminate,  is  una- 
voidably fraught  with  consequences  momentous  and  solemn 
beyond  all  conception.  We  are  penetrating  into  the  heart  of 
one  of  the  great   kingdoms  of  the  world,  to  make  a  formal 


LIFE  IK  RANGOON.  T49 

offer  of  the  Gospel  to  a  despotic  monarch,  and  through  him 
to  the  millions  of  his  subjects.  May  the  Lord  accompany  us, 
and  crown  our  attempt  with  the  desired  success,  if  it  be  con- 
sistent with  His  wise  and  holy  will. 

"At  night  we  moored  by  the  banks  of  Kyee-myen-daing. 
It  was  near  this  place  that,  a  few  days  ago,  one  of  the  boats 
belonging  to  Mr.  G.,  late  collector  of  Rangoon,  was  attacked 
by  robbers,  and  the  steersman  and  another  man  killed  at  a 
single  shot.  We  felt  unwilling  to  remain  at  this  village,  but 
found  it  necessary. 

"  On  the  30th  reached  Kah-noung,  a  considerable  town, 
about  ninety  miles  from  Rangoon.  Here  we  met  a  special 
officer  from  Bassein,  with  a  detachment  of  men,  sent  in  pur- 
suit of  a  band  of  robbers  who  lately  made  a  daring  attack 
on  a  large  boat,  wounded  and  beat  off  the  people,  and  took 
plunder  to  the  amount  of  fifteen  hundred  ticals.  The  com- 
mander offered  us  an  escort  for  the  journey  of  to-morrow, 
which  lies  through  a  dangerous  tract  of  country  ;  but  we  de- 
clined accepting,  as  we  should  have  been  obliged  to  give  the 
people  presents,  without  deriving  any  substantial  assistance 
in  the  hour  of  danger.     Strict  watch  all  night. 

'''■  Jamtary  17,  1820.  Reached  Pugan,  a  city  celebrated  in 
Burman  history,  being,  like  Pyee,  the  seat  of  a  former  dy- 
nasty. It  is  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  Ran- 
goon. 

^'•Jamiary  18.  Took  a  survey  of  the  splendid  pagodas 
and  extensive  ruins  in  the  environs  of  this  once  famous  city. 
Ascended  as  far  as  possible  some  of  the  highest  edifices,  and, 
at  the  height  of  one  hundred  feet,  perhaps,  beheld  all  the 
country  round,  covered  with  temples  and  monuments  of 
every  sort  and  size  ;  some  in  utter  ruin,  some  fast  decaying, 
and  some  exhibiting  marks  of  recent  attention  and  repair. 
The  remains  of  the  ancient  wall  of  the  city  stretched  beneath 
us.  The  pillars  of  the  gates,  and  many  a  grotesque,  decapi- 
tated relic  of  antiquity  checkered  the  motley  scene.  All 
conspired  to  suggest  those  elevated  and  mournful  ideas 
which  are  attendant  on  a  view  of  the  decaying  remains  of 
ancient  grandeur  ;  and,  though  not  comparable  to  such  ruins 


150  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

as  those  of  Palmyra  and  Balbec  (as  they  are  represented), 
still  deeply  interesting  to  the  antiquary,  and  more  deeply 
interesting  to  the  Christian  missionary.  Here,  about  eight 
hundred  years  ago,  the  religion  of  Buddh  was  first  publicly 
recognized  and  established  as  the  religion  of  the  empire. 
Here,  then,  Ah-rah-han,  the  first  Buddhist  apostle  of  Burmah, 
under  the  patronage  of  King  Anan-ra-tha-men-zan,  dissemi- 
nated the  doctrines  of  atheism,  and  taught  his  disciples  to 
pant  after  annihilation,  as  the  supreme  good.  Some  of  the 
ruins  before  our  eyes  were  probably  the  remains  of  pagodas 
designed  by  himself.  We  looked  back  on  the  centuries  of 
darkness  that  are  past.  We  looked  forward,  and  Christian 
hope  would  fain  brighten  the  prospect.  Perhaps  we  stand 
on  the  dividing  line  of  the  empires  of  darkness  and  light. 
O  shade  of  Ah-rah-han,  weep  over  thy  falling  fanes  ;  retire 
from  the  scenes  of  thy  past  greatness.  But  thou  smilest  at 
my  feeble  voice.  Linger,  then,  thy  little  remaining  day.  A 
voice  mightier  than  mine,  a  still  small  voice,  will  ere  long 
sweep  away  every  vestige  of  thy  dominion.  The  churches 
of  Jesus  will  soon  supplant  these  idolatrous  monuments,  and 
the  chanting  of  the  devotees  of  Buddh  will  die  away  before 
the  Christian  hymn  of  praise. 

^^ January  25.  Passed  Old  Ava,  the  seat  of  the  dynasty 
immediately  preceding  the  present,  and  Tsah-gaing,  a  place 
of  some  note,  distinguished  for  its  innumerable  pagodas,  and 
the  residence  of  one  or  two  late  emperors,  and  about  noon 
drew  up  to  O-ding-man,  the  lower  landing-place  of  New  Ava, 
or  Amarapoora,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 
Rangoon.  At  our  present  distance  of  nearly  four  miles  from 
the  city  (and  we  can  not  get  nearer  this  season),  it  appears 
to  the  worst  advantage.  We  can  hardly  distinguish  the 
golden  steeple  of  the  palace  amid  the  glittering  pagodas, 
whose  summits  just  suffice  to  mark  the  spot  of  our  ultimate 
destination. 

"January  26.  We  set  out  early  in  the  morning,  called  on 
Mr.  G.,  late  collector  of  Rangoon,  and  on  Mr.  R.,  who  was 
formerly  collector,  but  is  now  out  of  favor.  Thence  we  en- 
tered the  city,  passed  the  palace,  and  repaired  to  the  house 


LIFE  I.V  RANGOON. 


151 


of  Mya-day-men,  former  viceroy  of  Rangoon,  now  one  of  the 
public  ministers  of  state  (vvoon-gyee).  We  gave  him  a  vahi- 
able  present,  and  another  of  less  value  to  his  wife,  the  lady 
who  formerly  treated  Mr.  G.  with  so  much  politeness.  They 
both  received  us  very  kindly,  and  appeared  to  interest  them- 
selves in  our  success.  We,  however,  did  not  disclose  our 
precise  object,  but  only  petitioned  leave  to  behold  the  golden 
face.  Upon  this,  his  highness  committed  our  business  to 
Moung  Yo,  one  of  his  favorite  officers,  and  directed  him  to 
introduce  us  to  Moung  Zah,  one  of  the  private  ministers  of 
state  (a-twen-woon),  with  the  necessary  orders.  This  partic- 
ular favor  of  Mya-day-men  prevents  the  necessity  of  our 
petitioning  and  feeing  all  the  public  ministers  of  state,  and 
procuring  formal  permission  from  the  high  court  of  the 
empire. 

"  In  the  evening,  Moung  Yo,  who  lives  near  our  boat,  called 
on  us  to  say  that  he  would  conduct  us  to-morrow.  We  lie 
down  in  sleepless  anxiety.  To-morrow's  dawn  will  usher  in 
the  most  eventful  day  of  our  lives.  To-morrow's  eve  will 
close  on  the  bloom  or  the  blight  of  our  fondest  hopes.  Yet 
it  is  consoling  to  commit  this  business  into  the  hands  of  our 
heavenly  Father — to  feel  that  the  work  is  His,  not  ours  ;  that 
the  heart  of  the  monarch  before  whom  we  are  to  appear  is 
under  the  control  of  Omnipotence  ;  and  that  the  event  w'xVi 
be  ordered  in  the  manner  most  conducive  to  the  divine  glory 
and  the  greatest  good.  God  may,  for  the  wisest  purposes, 
suffer  our  hopes  to  be  disappointed  ;  and  if  so,  why  should 
short-sighted  mortal  man  repine  ?  Thy  will,  O  God,  be  ever 
done  ;  for  Thy  will  is  inevitably  the  wisest  and  the  best. 

^^  January  27,  We  left  the  boat,  and  put  ourselves  under 
the  conduct  of  Moung  Yo.  He  carried  us  first  to  Mya-day- 
men,  as  a  matter  of  form  ;  and  there  we  learned  that  the 
emperor  had  been  privately  apprised  of  our  arrival,  and  said, 
'  Let  them  be  introduced.'  We  therefore  proceeded  to  the 
palace.  At  the  outer  gate  we  were  detained  a  long  time, 
until  the  various  officers  were  satisfied  that  we  had  a  right  to 
enter,  after  which  we  deposited  a  present  for  the  private 
minister  of  state,  Moung  Zah,  and   were   ushered  into  his 


152  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

apartments  in  the  palace  yard.  He  received  us  very  pleas- 
antly, and  ordered  us  to  sit  before  several  governors  and 
petty  kings,  who  were  waiting  at  his  levee.  We  here,  for 
the  first  time,  disclosed  our  character  and  object — told  him 
that  we  were  missionaries,  or  '  propagators  of  religion  ';  that 
we  wished  to  appear  before  the  emperor,  and  present  our 
sacred  books,  accompanied  with  a  petition.  He  took  the 
petition  into  his  hand,  looked  over  about  half  of  it,  and  then 
familiarly  asked  some  questions  about  our  God  and  our  re- 
ligion, to  which  we  replied.  Just  at  this  crisis,  some  one 
announced  that  the  golden  foot  was  about  to  advance  ;  on 
which  the  minister  hastily  rose  up,  and  put  on  his  robes  of 
state,  saying  that  he  must  seize  the  moment  to  present  us  to 
the  emperor.  We  now  found  that  we  had  unwittingly  fallen 
on  an  unpropitious  time,  it  being  the  day  of  the  celebration 
of  the  late  victory  over  the  Kathays,  and  the  very  hour  when 
his  majesty  was  coming  forth  to  witness  the  display  made  on 
the  occasion.  When  the  minister  was  dressed,  he  just  said, 
'  How  can  you  propagate  religion  in  this  empire  ?  But  come 
along.'  Our  hearts  sank  at  these  inauspicious  words.  He 
conducted  us  through  various  splendor  and  parade,  until  we 
ascended  a  flight  of  stairs,  and  entered  a  most  magnificent 
hall.  He  directed  us  where  to  sit,  and  took  his  place  on  one 
side  ;  the  present  was  placed  on  the  other  ;  and  Moung  Yo 
and  another  officer  of  M)^a-day-men  sat  a  little  behind.  The 
scene  to  which  we  were  now  introduced  really  surpassed  our 
expectation.  The  spacious  extent  of  the  hall,  the  number 
and  magnitude  of  the  pillars,  the  height  of  the  dome,  the 
whole  completely  covered  with  gold,  presented  a  most  grand 
and  imposing  spectacle.  Very  few  were  present,  and  those 
evidently  great  officers  of  state.  Our  situation  prevented  us 
from  seeing  the  farther  avenue  of  the  hall ;  but  the  end  where 
we  sat  opened  into  the  parade  which  the  emperor  was  about 
to  inspect.  We  remained  about  five  minutes,  when  every  one 
put  himself  into  the  most  respectful  attitude,  and  Moung  Yo 
whispered  that  his  majesty  had  entered.  We  looked  through 
the  hall  as  far  as  the  pillars  would  allow,  and  presently 
caught  sight  of  this  modern   Ahasuerus.     He  came  forward 


LIFE  !N  RAXGOOX.  I :;  - 

unattended — in  solitary  grand  .'ur — exhibiting  the  proud 
gait  and  majesty  of  an  Eastern  monarch.  His  dress  was 
rich,  but  not  distinctive  ;  and  he  carried  in  his  hand  the  gold- 
sheathed  sword,  which  seems  to  have  taken  the  place  of  the 
sceptre  of  ancient  times.  But  it  was  his  high  aspect  and 
commanding  eye  that  chiefl}^  riveted  our  attention.  He 
strided  on.  Every  head  excepting  ours  was  now  in  the  dust. 
We  remained  kneeling,  our  hands  folded,  our  eyes  fixed  on 
the  monarch.  When  he  drew  near,  we  caught  his  attention. 
He  stopped,  partly  turned  toward  us — 'Who  are  these?' 
'The  teachers,  great  king,'  I  replied.  'What,  you  speak 
Burman — the  priests  that  I  heard  of  last  night  ? '  '  When 
did  you  arrive?'  'Are  you  teachers  of  religion?'  'Are  you 
like  the  Portuguese  priest  ?'  'Are  you  married  ? '  'Why  do 
you  dress  so?'  These  and  some  other  similar  questions  we 
answered,  when  he  appeared  to  be  pleased  with  us,  and  sat 
down  on  an  elevated  seat,  his  hand  resting  on  the  hilt  of  his 
sword,  and  his  eyes  intently  fixed  on  us.  Moung  Zah  now 
began  to  read  the  petition  ;  and  it  ran  thus  : 

'"The  American  teachers  present  themselves  to  receive  the  favor  of 
the  excellent  king,  the  sovereign  of  land  and  sea.  Hearing  that,  on 
account  of  the  greatness  of  the  royal  power,  the  royal  country  was  in  a 
quiet  and  prosperous  state,  we  arrived  at  the  town  of  Rangoon,  within 
the  royal  dominions,  and  having  obtained  leave  of  the  governor  of  that 
town  to  come  up  and  behold  the  golden  face,  we  have  ascended  and 
reached  the  bottom  of  the  golden  feet.  In  the  great  country  of  America, 
we  sustain  the  character  of  teachers  and  explainers  of  the  contents  ol 
the  sacred  Scriptures  of  our  religion.  And  since  it  is  contained  in  those 
Scriptures,  that,  if  we  pass  to  other  countries,  and  preach  and  propagate 
religion,  great  good  will  result,  and  both  those  who  teach  and  those  who 
receive  the  religion  will  be  freed  from  future  punishment,  and  enjoy,  with- 
out decay  or  death,  the  eternal  felicity  of  heaven — that  royal  permission 
be  given,  that  we,  taking  refuge  in  the  royal  power,  may  preach  our 
religion  in  these  dominions,  and  that  those  who  are  pleased  with  our 
preaching,  and  wish  to  listen  to  and  be  guided  by  it,  whether  foreigners 
or  Burmans,  may  be  exempt  from  Government  molestation,  they  present 
themselves  to  receive  the  favor  of  the  excellent  king,  the  sovereign  ot 
land  and  sea.' " 

The    emperor   heard   this  petition,  and  stretched  out  his 


154  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIKAM  JUDSON. 

hand.  Moung  Zah  crawled  forward  and  presented  it.  His 
majesty  began  at  the  top,  and  deliberately  read  it  through. 
In  the  meantime,  I  gave  Moung  Zah  an  abridged  copy  of 
the  tract,  in  which  every  offensive  sentence  was  corrected,  and 
the  whole  put  into  the  handsomest  style  and  dress  possible. 
After  the  emperor  had  perused  the  petition,  he  handed  it 
back  without  saying  a  word,  and  took  the  tract.  Our  hearts 
now  rose  to  God  for  a  display  of  His  grace.  '  Oh,  have  mercy 
on  Burmah  !  Have  mercy  on  her  king.'  But,  alas  !  the 
time  was  not  yet  come.  He  held  the  tract  long  enough  to 
read  the  first  two  sentences,  which  assert  that  there  is  one 
eternal  God,  who  is  independent  of  the  incidents  of  mortality, 
and  that  beside  Him,  there  is  no  God  ;  and  then,  with  an  air 
of  indifference,  perhaps  disdain,  he  dashed  it  down  to  the 
ground.  Moung  Zah  stooped  forward,  picked  it  up,  and 
handed  it  to  us.  Moung  Yo  made  a  slight  attempt  to  save 
us  by  unfolding  one  of  the  volumes,  which  composed  our 
present,  and  displaying  its  beauty  ;  but  his  majesty  took  no 
notice.  Our  fate  was  decided.  After  a  few  moments,  Moung 
Zah  interpreted  his  royal  master's  will,  in  the  following 
terms:  'Why  do  you  ask  for  such  permission?  Have  not 
the  Portuguese,  the  English,  the  Mussulmans,  and  people  of 
all  other  religions,  full  liberty  to  practice  and  worship  accord- 
ing to  their  own  customs  ?  In  regard  to  the  objects  of  your 
petition,  his  majesty  gives  no  order.  In  regard  to  your  sa- 
cred books,  his  majesty  has  no  use  for  them  ;  take  them 
away.' 

"Something  was  now  said  about  brother  Colman's  skill  in 
medicine  ;  upon  which  the  emperor  once  more  opened  his 
mouth,  and  said,  '  Let  them  proceed  to  the  residence  of  my 
physician,  the  Portuguese  priest ;  let  him  examine  whether 
they  can  be  useful  to  me  in  that  line,  and  report  accordingly.' 
He  then  rose  from  his  seat,  strided  on  to  the  end  of  the  hall, 
and  there,  after  having  dashed  to  the  ground  the  first  intelli- 
gence that  he  had  ever  received  of  the  eternal  God,  his  Maker, 
his  Preserver,  his  Judge,  he  threw  himself  down  on  a  cushion, 
and  lay  listening  to  the  music,  and  gazing  at  the  parade 
spread  out  before  him. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  155 

"As  for  us  and  our  present,  we  were  huddled  up  and  hur- 
ried away,  without  much  ceremony.  We  passed  out  of  the 
palace  gates  with  much  more  facility  than  we  entered,  and 
were  conducted  first  to  the  house  of  Mya-day-men.  There 
his  officer  reported  our  reception,  but  in  as  favorable  terms 
as  possible  ;  and  as  his  highness  was  not  apprised  of  our 
precise  object,  our  repulse  appeared  probably  to  him  not  so 
decisive  as  we  knew  it  to  be.  We  were  next  conducted  two 
miles  through  the  heat  of  the  sun  and  dust  of  the  streets  of 
Ava,  to  the  residence  of  the  Portuguese  priest.  He  very 
speedily  ascertained  that  we  were  in  possession  of  no  won- 
derful secret,  which  would  secure  the  emperor  from  all  dis- 
ease, and  make  him  live  forever  ;  and  we  were  accordingly 
allowed  to  take  leave  of  the  reverend  inquisitor,  and  retreat 
to  our  boat. 

"At  this  stage  of  the  business,  notwithstanding  the  de- 
cided repulse  we  had  received,  we  still  cherished  some  hope 
of  ultimately  gaining  our  point.  We  regretted  that  a  sud- 
den interruption  had  prevented  our  explaining  our  objects 
to  Moung  Zah  in  that  familiar  and  confidential  manner  which 
we  had  intended  ;  and  we  determined,  therefore,  to  make 
another  attempt  upon  him  in  private. 

''January  28.  Early  in  the  morning  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  our  friend  Mr.  G.  coming  to  our  boat.  It  may  not 
be  amiss  to  mention  that  he  is  the  collector  who  was  chiefly 
instrumental  in  relieving  us  from  the  exorbitant  demand 
which,  a  few  months  ago,  was  made  upon  us  in  Rangoon. 
He  now  told  us  that  he  had  heard  of  our  repulse,  but  would 
not  have  us  give  up  all  hope  ;  that  he  was  particularly  ac- 
quainted with  Moung  Zah,  and  would  accompany  us  to  his 
house,  a  little  before  sunset,  at  an  hour  when  he  was  acces- 
sible.    This  precisely  accorded  with  our  intentions. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  therefore,  we  called  on  Mr.  G.,  and  he 
went  with  us  into  the  city.  On  the  way  we  paid  a  visit  to 
the  wife  of  the  present  viceroy  of  Rangoon,  whose  eldest 
son  is  married  to  the  only  daughter  of  the  present  emperor. 
We  carried  a  present,  and  were,  of  course,  kindly  received. 

"  Thence  we  went  to  the  house  of  Moung  Zah,  some  way 


156  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

beyond  the  palace.  He  received  us  with  great  coldness  and 
reserve.  The  conversation,  which  we  carried  on  chiefly 
through  Mr.  G.,  it  is  unnecessary  to  detail.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  we  ascertained  beyond  a  doubt,  that  the  policy  of  the 
Burman  Government,  in  regard  to  the  toleration  of  any  for- 
eign religion,  is  precisely  the  same  with  the  Chinese  ;  that 
it  is  quite  out  of  the  question,  whether  any  of  the  subjects 
of  the  emperor,  who  embrace  a  religion  different  from  his 
own,  will  be  exempt  from  punishment ;  and  that  we,  in  pre- 
senting a  petition  to  that  effect,  had  been  guilty  of  a  most 
egregious  blunder,  an  unpardonable  offence.  Mr.  G.  urged 
every  argument  that  we  suggested,  and  some  others.  He 
finally  stated  that,  if  we  obtained  the  royal  favor,  other 
foreigners  would  come  and  settle  in  the  empire,  and  trade 
would  be  greatly  benefited.  This  argument  alone  seemed 
to  have  any  effect  on  the  mind  of  the  minister,  and  looking 
out  from  the  cloud  which  covered  his  face,  he  vouchsafed  to 
say,  that  if  we  would  wait  some  time,  he  would  endeavor  to 
speak  to  his  majesty  about  us.  From  this  remark  it  was  im- 
possible to  derive  any  encouragement ;  and  having  nothing 
further  to  urge,  we  left  Mr.  G.,  and  bowing  down  to  the 
ground,  took  leave  of  this  great  minister  of  state,  who,  under 
the  emperor,  guides  the  movements  of  the  whole  empire. 

"  It  was  now  evening.  We  had  four  miles  to  walk  by  moon- 
light. Two  of  our  disciples  only  followed  us.  They  had 
ventured  as  near  as  they  durst  to  the  door  of  the  hall  of 
audience,  and  listened  to  words  which  sealed  the  extinction 
of  their  hope  and  ours.     For  some  time  we  spoke  not. 

"  '  Some  natural  tears  we  dropped,  but  wiped  them  soon ; 
The  world  was  all  before  us,  where  to  choose 
Our  place  of  rest,  and  Providence  our  guide.' 

And  as  our  first  parents  took  their  solitary  way  through 
Eden,  hand  in  hand,  so  we  took  our  way  through  this  great 
city,  which,  to  our  late  imagination,  seemed  another  Eden, 
but  now,  through  the  magic  touch  of  disappointment,  seemed 
blasted  and  withered,  as  if  smitten  by  the  fatal  influence  of 
the  cherubic  sword. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


157 


"Arrived  at  the  boat,  we  threw  ourselves  down,  completely 
exhausted  in  body  and  mind.  For  three  days  we  had  walked 
eight  miles  a  day,  the  most  of  the  way  in  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
which,  even  at  this  season,  in  the  interior  of  these  countries, 
is  exceedingly  oppressive,  and  the  result  of  our  travels  and 
toils  has  been — the  wisest  and  best  possible  ;  a  result  which. 
if  we  could  see  the  end  from  the  beginning,  would  call  forth 
our  highest* praise.  O,  slow  of  heart  to  believe  and  trust  in 
the  constant  presence  and  overruling  agency  of  our  own 
almighty  Saviour. 

'■^Janicary  29.  We  again  rose  early,  and,  having  consid- 
ered the  last  words  of  Moung  Zah,  wrote  down  our  request 
in  the  most  concise  and  moderate  terms,  and  sent  it  to  Mr.  G. 
with  a  message  that  he  would  once  more  see  Moung  Zah,  lay 
the  paper  before  him,  and  ascertain  unequivocally  whether 
there  was  any  possibility  of  gaining  our  point  by  waiting 
several  months. 

"  The  rest  of  the  day,  and  the  next,  being  Lord's  da}^,  we 
remained  in  the  boat. 

"Jaimary  31.  Afonday.  Mr.  G.  called  upon  us,  with  our 
little  paper  in  his  hand.  '  I  have  shown  your  paper  to 
Moung  Zah,  and  begged  him  not  to  deceive  you,  but  to  say 
distinctly  what  hopes  you  might  be  allowed  to  entertain. 
He  replied,  "  Tell  them  that  there  is  not  the  least  possibility 
oi  obtaining  the  object  stated  in  this  paper,  should  they 
wait  ever  so  long  ;  therefore  let  them  go  about  their  busi- 
ness." ' 

"  I  now  thought  of  one  more  expedient  ;  and  taking  out 
the  manuscript  tract  the  emperor  threw  down,  I  handed  it 
to  Mr.  G.  'This  is  a  brief  view  of  the  Christian  religion. 
Do  you  present  it,  in  our  name,  to  Moung  Zah,  and  persuade 
him  to  read  it,  or  hear  it  read.  We  have  indeed  no  hope  of 
its  efficacy  ;  but  it  is  our  last  resort,  and  God  may  help  us  in 
the  extremity.'  He  took  it  with  some  feeling,  and  promised 
to  do  his  best. 

"  Before  leaving  us,  he  communicated  the  important  intel- 
ligence that  the  emperor,  flushed  with  his  late  victory  over 
the  Kathays,  had  determined  on  war  with  Siam,  and  intended 


15S  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

next  fall  to  march  in  person  to  Pegu,  and  there  establish  his 
headquarters. 

"After  Mr.  G.  left  us,  we  went  to  visit  Mr.  R.  We  were 
formerly  acquainted  with  him  in  Rangoon,  and  he  would 
now  have  assisted  us  had  he  not  been  out  of  the  favor  of  the 
new  emperor.  We  related  all  our  proceedings,  and  the  dis- 
appointment of  our  hopes.  '  I  knew  it  would  be  so,'  replied 
he,  '  when  you  first  called  on  me  ;  but  I  was  ncft  willing  to 
discourage  you  from  making  trial  for  yourselves.'  He  then 
related  the  following  story,  with  the  substance  of  which  we 
were  previously  acquainted  : 

"  '  About  fifteen  years  ago,  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  converted  to 
their  faith  a  Burman  teacher  of  talents  and  distinction.  They  took  great 
pains  to  indoctrinate  him  thoroughly  in  their  religion,  and  entertained 
great  hope  of  his  usefulness  in  their  cause.  After  his  retui^n  from  Rome, 
whither  they  had  sent  him  to  complete  his  Christian  education,  he  was 
accused  by  his  nephew,  a  clerk  in  the  high  court  of  the  empire,  of  having 
renounced  the  established  religion.  The  emperor,  who,  it  must  be 
remembered,  was  far  from  approving  the  religion  of  Buddh,  ordered 
that  he  should  be  compelled  to  recant.  The  nephew  seized  his  uncle, 
cast  him  into  prison  and  fetters,  caused  him  to  be  beaten  and  tortured 
continually,  and  at  length  had  recourse  to  the  torture  of  the  iron  mall. 
With  this  instrument  he  was  gradually  beaten,  from  the  ends  of  his  feet 
up  to  his  breast,  until  his  body  was  little  else  than  one  livid  wound.  Mr.  R. 
was  one  of  those  that  stood  by  and  gave  money  to  the  executioners  to 
induce  them  to  strike  gently.  At  every  blow,  the  sufferer  pronounced 
the  name  of  Christ,  and  declared  afterward  that  he  felt  little  or  no 
pain.  When  he  was  at  the  point  of  death,  under  the  hands  of  his  tor- 
mentors, some  persons  who  pitied  his  case  went  to  the  emperor  with  a 
statement  that  he  was  a  madman,  and  knew  not  what  he  was  about  ; 
on  which  the  emperor  gave  orders  for  his  release.  The  Portuguese  took 
him  away,  concealed  him  until  he  was  able  to  move,  then  sent  him  pri- 
vately in  a  boat  to  Rangoon,  and  thence  by  ship  to  Bengal,  where  he 
finished  his  days.  Since  then,  the  Roman  priests,  of  whom  there  are 
four  only  in  the  country,  have  done  nothing  in  the  way  of  proselyting, 
but  confined  their  labors  to  their  own  flocks,  which  are  composed  of  the 
descendants  of  foreigners.  The  man  who  accused  his  uncle  is  now  the 
very  first  of  the  private  ministers  of  state,  taking  rank  before  Moung 
Zah.  Furthermore,  the  present  chief  queen,  who  has  great  influence 
with  his  majesty,  is,  and  ever  has  been,  particularly  attached  to  the  relig- 
ion and  the  priests  of  Buddh.' 


LIFE  IX  RAXGOOX. 


159 


"  Mr.  R.  also  confirmed  the  information  we  Iiad  received  of 
approaching  war  with  Siam. 

"  Our  case  could  not  be  more  desperate.  We  directly  re- 
turned to  the  boat,  and  ordered  our  people  to  sell  off  all  un- 
necessary articles,  and  be  ready  to  start  as  soon  as  our  pass- 
port could  be  obtained. 

"  February  i.  Went  to  Mya-day-men  and  applied  for  a 
passport  to  Rangoon.  He  appeared  willing  to  oblige  us,  but 
said  we  must  make  formal  application  to  Moung  Zah. 

"  February  2.  Went  to  various  places,  and  made  various 
inquiries  and  applications  for  a  passport.  Ascertained  that 
it  was  absolutely  necessary,  in  our  case,  to  procure  a  special 
one  from  the  high  court  of  the  empire. 

"February  3.  Sent  our  head  man  and  some  of  our  people 
with  a  petition  to  Moung  Zah.  After  they  had  gone  off,  wc 
called  on  Mr.  G.  He  informed  us  that  the  tract  had  been 
presented  to  Moung  Zah,  and  read  in  his  presence.  After 
listening  to  the  whole  of  it,  instead  of  throwing  it  down,  or 
even  returning  it,  he  committed  it  to  one  of  his  people  to 
keep,  saying  to  Mr.  G.,  '  The  doctrines  and  commands  are 
very  good  ;  but  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  Burmans  can  be 
convinced  that  there  is  a  God  and  Saviour.'  After  this  inter- 
view with  Moung  Zah,  Mr.  G.  was  summoned  before  the 
emperor.  His  majesty,  among  other  things,  inquired  about 
the  foreign  teachers.  Mr.  G.  told  him  our  country,  our  char- 
acter, and  our  object.  The  emperor  observed  that  the 
Portuguese  priest  had  told  him  very  different  things,  par- 
ticularly that  we  were  a  sect  of  Zandees  (a  race  very  ob- 
noxious to  former  emperors).  Mr.  G.  endeavored  to  vindi- 
cate our  character,  but  the  emperor  appeared  quite  averse  to 
hearing  anything  in  our  favor.  'What,' said  he,  laughing, 
'  they  have  come  presuming  to  convert  us  to  their  religion. 
Let  them  leave  our  capital.  We  have  no  desire  to  receive 
their  instructions.  Perhaps  they  may  find  some  of  their 
countrymen  in  Rangoon  who  may  be  willing  to  listen  to 
them.' 

"  Mr.  G.  now  advised  us  to  obtain  a  royal  order  protecting 
us  personally  from  molestation  while  we  should  remain  in 


x6o  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JIjDSON. 

the  country.  '  Otherwise,'  said  he,  '  as  it  will  be  notorious  tha»- 
3-ou  have  solicited  royal  patronage,  and  been  refused,  you 
will  lie  at  the  mercy  of  every  ill-disposed  person.' 

"  This  suggestion  of  Mr.  G.  occupied  our  thoughts  the  rest 
of  the  day.  We  finally  concluded  that,  as  such  an  order 
would  cost  several  hundred  ticals,  we  would  prefer  trusting 
in  the  Lord  to  keep  us  and  our  poor  disciples. 

"  At  night  our  people  returned.  They  had  found  Moung 
Zah,  and  presented  the  petition  for  a  passport,  to  which  he 
made  no  other  reply  but  '  Come  to-morrow.' 

"  February  4.  Sent  the  people,  early  in  the  morning,  with 
a  handsome  present  to  Moung  Zah.  They  returned  late  at 
night.  He  accepted  the  present,  and  assured  them  he  would 
do  our  business  to-morrow. 

'■'^  February  5.  Sent  the  people  as  usual,  our  trusty  Moung 
Nau  accompanying  them,  with  a  quantity  of  silver.  This  did 
the  business.  Late  in  the  evening  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
taking  into  my  hand  the  pointed  palm-leaf.  It  has  cost  us 
the  value  of  thirty  dollars. 

^^  February  6.  Pushed  off  from  the  beach  of  O-ding-man. 
I  could  moralize  half  an  hour  on  the  apt  resemblance,  the 
beautiful  congruity  between  the  desolate  state  of  our  feelings 
and  the  sandy,  barren  surface  of  this  miserable  beach.  But 
*  'tis  idle  all.'  Let  the  beach  and  our  sorrow  go  together. 
Something  better  will  turn  up  to-morrow. 

'^  February  12.  Reached  Pyee,  two  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  from  Ava  ;  our  descent  on  the  river  being,  of  course, 
much  more  rapid  than  our  ascent.  Here,  to  our  great  sur- 
prise, we  met  with  the  teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong.  He  had 
come  up  from  Rangoon,  a  few  days  ago,  to  visit  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, who  was  dangerously  ill  ;  expects  to  return 
shortly ;  would  gladly  go  with  us,  if  we  could  wait  a  day  or 
two.  We  stated  to  him  all  our  adventures  at  court,  the  dis- 
tressing result  of  the  expedition,  and  the  present  dJinger  of 
propagating  or  professing  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  wound 
off  with  the  story  of  the  iron  mall.  He  appeared  to  be  less 
affected  and  intimidated  by  the  relation  than  we  could  have 
expected.     Indeed,  his  language  was  rather  too  high  for  the 


LIFE  I.V  RANGOON.  1 6  t 

occasion.  I  therefore  told  him  that  it  was  not  for  him  that 
we  were  concerned,  but  for  those  who  had  become  disciples 
of  Christ.  When  they  were  accused  and  persecuted,  they 
could  not  worship  at  the  pagodas,  or  recant  before  the  Mangen 
teacher.  He  felt  the  force  of  the  reflection,  and  tried  to  ex- 
plain his  past  conduct.  'Say  nothing,' said  I;  'one  thing 
you  know  to  be  true — that,  when  formerly  accused,  if  you 
had  not,  in  some  way  or  other,  satisfied  the  mind  of  the 
Mangen  teacher,  your  life  would  not  now  be  remaining  in 
your  body.'  'Then,'  said  he,  'if  I  must  die,  I  shall  die  in  a 
good  cause.  I  know  it  is  the  cause  of  truth.'  He  then  re- 
peated, with  considerable  emphasis,  the  most  prominent 
points  of  his  present  faith,  as  follows  :  '/  believe  in  the  eternal 
God.,  in  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  atonement  which  Christ  has 
made,  and  in  the  ivritings  of  the  apostles,  as  the  true  and  only  word 
of  God.  Perhaps,'  continued  he,  'you  may  not  remember 
that,  during  one  of  my  last  visits,  you  told  me  that  I  was 
trusting  in  my  own  understanding,  rather  than  the  divine 
word.  From  that  time  I  have  seen  my  error,  and  endeavored 
to  renounce  it.  You  explained  to  me  also  the  evil  of  wor- 
shipping at  pagodas,  though  I  told  you  that  my  heart  did 
not  partake  in  the  worship.  Since  you  left  Rangoon,  I  have 
not  lifted  up  my  folded  hands  before  a  pagoda.  It  is  true,  I 
sometimes  follow  the  crowd,  on  days  of  worship,  in  order  to 
avoid  persecution  ;  but  I  walk  up  one  side  of  the  pagoda,  and 
walk  down  the  other.  Now,  you  say  that  I  am  not  a  disciple. 
What  lack  I  yet  ?'  I  was  now  satisfied  that  he  had  made  a 
little  advance  since  our  last  interview,  which  required  a  cor- 
responding advance  on  my  side.  I  replied,  therefore, 
'  Teacher,  you  may  be  a  disciple  of  Christ  in  heart,  but  you 
are  not  a  full  disciple.  You  have  not  faith  and  resolution 
enough  to  keep  all  the  commands  of  Christ,  particularly  that 
which  requires  you  to  be  baptized,  though  in  the  face  of  per- 
secution and  death.  Consider  the  words  of  Jesus,  just  before 
He  returned  to  heaven,  "  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved."  '  He  received  this  communication  in  pro- 
found silence,  and  with  that  air  which  I  have  observed  to 
come  upon  him  when  he  take's  a  thing  into  serious  consider- 


i62  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSOiV, 

ation.  Soon  after  I  hinted  our  intention  of  leaving  Rangoon, 
since  the  emperor  had  virtually  prohibited  the  propagation 
of  the  Christian  religion,  and  no  Burman,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, would  dare  to  investigate,  much  less  to  embrace 
it.  This  intelligence  evidently  roused  him,  and  showed  us 
that  we  had  more  interest  in  his  heart  than  we  thought. 
'  Say  not  so,'  said  he  ;  *  there  are  some  who  will  investigate, 
notwithstanding  ;  and  rather  than  have  you  quit  Rangoon, 
I  will  go  myself  to  the  Mangen  teacher,  and  have  a  public 
dispute.  I  know  I  can  silence  him.  I  know  the  truth  is  on 
my  side.'  'Ah,'  said  I,  'you  may  have  a  tongue  to  silence 
him,  but  he  has  a  pair  of  fetters  and  an  iron  mall  to  tame 
you.  Remember  that.'  This  was  the  substance  of  our  con- 
versation, though  much  more  prolix  ;  and  he  left  us  about  nine 
o'clock  at  night. 

"This  interview  furnished  matter  for  conversation  till  past 
midnight,  and  kept  us  awake  much  of  the  remainder  of  the 
night.  Perhaps,  on  arriving  in  Rangoon,  we  shall  find  the 
disciples  firm,  and  some  others  seriously  inquiring.  Perhaps 
we  shall  discover  some  appearances  of  a  movement  of  the 
divine  Spirit.  Perhaps  the  Lord  Jesus  has  a  few  chosen 
ones,  whom  He  intends  to  call  in,  under  the  most  unpropitious 
and  forbidding  circumstances.  Perhaps  he  intends  to  show 
that  it  is  not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by  His  Spirit.  In  a 
word,  perhaps  in  the  last  extremity,  God  will  help  us.  Ought 
we,  then,  hastily  to  forsake  the  place  ?  Ought  we  to  desert 
those  of  the  disciples  that  we  can  not  take  with  us,  and  some 
others,  for  whom  perhaps  Christ  died,  in  such  an  interesting 
crisis  of  their  fate  ?  Would  it  be  rashness  to  endeavor  to 
trust  in  God,  and  maintain  the  post,  though  disallowed  by 
Government,  and  exposed  to  persecution  ?  But  again  :  Can 
we  bear  to  see  our  dear  disciples  in  prison,  in  fetters,  under 
torture  ?  Can  we  stand  by  them  and  encourage  them  to  bear 
patiently  the  rage  of  their  persecutors  ?  Are  we  willing  to 
participate  with  them  ?  Though  the  spirit  may  be  .sometimes 
almost  willing,  is  not  the  flesh  too  weak  ? 

"  Pondering  on  such  topics  as  these,  a  little  ray  of  hope 
seemed  to  shine  out  of  the  darkness  of  our  despair.     But  it 


LIFE  IN  R/IXGOOM.  163 

was  not  like  the  soft  beam  of  the  moon,  which  kindly  shines 
on  the  path  of  the  benighted  pilgrim,  and  guides  him  to  a 
place  of  shelter.  It  was  rather  like  the  angry  gleam  of  light- 
ning which,  while  for  a  moment  it  illumines  the  landscape 
around,  discloses  the  black  magazines  of  heaven's  artillery 
and  threatens  death  to  the  unwary  gazer. 
^^  February  18.     Arrived  in  Rangoon." 

Mr.  Judson  and  Mr.  Colman  returned  from  Ava  utterly 
disheartened,  for  their  journey  had  been  a  complete  failure. 
The  emperor  had  refused  to  give  them  permission  to  propa- 
gate the  Christian  religion  among  his  subjects ,  and  any 
Burman  who  should  renounce  Buddhism  and  become  a 
Christian,  would  incur  the  displeasure  of  his  sovereign. 

Mr.  Judson  at  once  decided  to  remove  the  mission  to 
Chittagong,  where,  under  the  protection  of  the  British  flag, 
he  could  preach  Christ  to  a  Burmese-speaking  population. 
He  gathered  his  converts  and  inquirers  together,  and  made 
no  concealment  of  the  failure  at  Ava.  He  pictured  the  suf- 
ferings to  which  the  Burman  would  be  exposed  who  should 
espouse  Christianity,  while  he  declared  his  intention,  reluc- 
tantly formed,  of  leaving  the  country.  But,  to  his  great  sur- 
prise, his  converts  stood  firm.  They  expressed  their  willing- 
ness to  suffer  persecution,  and  even  death,  rather  than  re- 
nounce Christ.  They  entreated  him  not  to  leave  them. 
"Stay  at  least,"  they  said,  "until  a  little  church  of  ten  is 
collected,  and  a  native  teacher  is  set  over  it,  and  then,  if  you 
must  go,  we  will  not  say  nay.  In  that  case  we  shall  not  be 
concerned.  This  religion  will  spread  of  itself.  The  emperor 
can  not  stop  it."  The  heroism  of  the  disciples  prevailed  to 
keep  the  teacher  in  Rangoon. 

It  was  thought  best,  however,  that  Mr.  Colman  and  his 
wife  should  go  to  Chittagong*  and  gather  together  the  few 
converts  left  there  by  the  English  Baptists,  and  to  preach 
the   Gospel   to   the   Arracanese.      Thus    Chittagong   might 

*  See  Map  II. 


164  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

prove  an  asylum  for  the  Judsons  and  their  Burman  converts 
if  they  should  be  hunted  out  of  Rangoon.  On  March  27, 
1820,  Mr.  Colman  embarked  for  Arracan,  where,  after  a  short 
but  heroic  missionary  career,  he  died  at  Cox's  Bazaar  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1822. 

Thus  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  again  found  themselves  alone 
at  Rangoon.  The  Houghs,  the  Wheelocks,  the  Colmans 
had  gone.  They  were  left  with  their  little  group  of  three 
converts  to  continue  the  conflict  with  heathenism.  But, 
strange  to  say,  in  this  darkest  hour  of  all  the  Spirit  began 
to  work  mightily  in  the  hearts  of  the  Burmans.  Within 
five  months,  in  the  very  face  of  impending  persecution,  seven 
heathen,  one  after  another,  were  converted  and  baptized, 
among  them  the  learned  skeptical  Moung  Shw^a-gnong,  and 
the  first  woman,  Mah-men-la.  The  church  of  three  native 
converts  rapidl}^  grew  into  a  church  of  ten.  But,  at  this 
point,  Mrs.  Judson's  health  became  so  completely  shattered 
that,  in  order  to  save  her  life,  Mr.  Judson  had  to  take  her 
to  Calcutta. 

All  these  interesting  events  will  be  found  narrated,  with 
fuller  detail,  in  the  succeeding  extract  from  Mr.  Judson's 
journal : 

'■'■February  20.  Lord's  day.  In  the  evening  I  called  the 
three  disciples  together,  and  gave  them  a  connected  account 
of  the  affair  at  Ava,  that  they  might  have  a  full  understand- 
ing of  the  dangers  of  their  present  condition,  and  the  reasons 
of  our  intended  departure  from  Rangoon.  We  expected  that, 
after  being  destitute  of  all  the  means  of  grace  for  some  time, 
and  after  seeing  their  teachers  driven  away  from  the  presence 
of  their  monarch  in  disgrace,  they  would  become  cold  in  their 
affections,  and  have  but  little  remaining  zeal  for  a  cause  thus 
proscribed  and  exposed  to  persecution.  We  thought  that,  if 
one  out  of  the  three  remained  firm,  it  was  as  much  as  we 
could  reasonably  hope  for.  But  how  delightfully  were  we 
disappointed  !  They  all,  to  a  man,  appeared  immovably  the 
same  ;  yea,  rather  advanced  in  zeal  and  energy.     They  vied 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  165 

with  each  other  in  trying  to  explain  away  difficulties,  and  to 
convince  us  that  the  cause  was  not  yet  quite  desperate.  But 
whither  are  the  teachers  going  ?  was,  of  course,  an  anxious 
inquiry.  We  told  them  that  it  was  our  intention  never  to 
desert  Burmah  ;  but  that,  since  the  emperor  had  refused  to 
tolerate  our  religion,  we  thought  it  necessary  to  leave  for  a 
time  those  parts  of  the  empire  which  are  immediately  under 
his  dominion  ;  that  there  is  a  tract  of  country  lying  between 
Bengal  and  Arracan,  which,  though  under  the  government 
of  Bengal,  is  chiefly  inhabited  by  Arracanese,  who  speak  a 
language  similar  to  the  Burman,  the  district  being  really  a 
part  of  Arracan,  one  component  part  of  the  present  Burman 
empire  ;  that  formerly  a  teacher  'from  Bengal  (De  Bruyn) 
lived  at  Chittagong,  the  principal  town  in  that  district,  and 
baptized  several  converts,  who,  at  his  death,  were  left  desti- 
tute of  all  instruction  to  the  present  time  ;  and  that,  in  view 
of  these  considerations,  it  was  our  purpose  to  proceed  thither, 
in  hope  of  finding  that  toleration  which  was  denied  us  in 
Rangoon.  We  then  asked  them,  severally,  what  they  would 
do.  Moung  Nau  had  previously  told  us  that  he  would  fol- 
low us  to  any  part  of  the  world.  He  was  only  afraid  that  he 
should  be  a  burden  to  us  ;  for,  not  being  acquainted  with 
another  language,  he  might- not  be  able  to  get  his  living  in 
a  strange  land.  'As  for  me,'  said  Moung  Thah-lah,  'I  go 
where  preaching  is  to  be  had.'  Moung  Byaa  was  silent  and 
thoughtful.  At  last  he  said  that,  as  no  Burman  woman  is 
allowed  to  leave  the  country,  he  could  not,  on  account  of  his 
wife,  follow  the  teachers.  '  But,'  continued  he,  with  some 
pathos,  '  if  I  must  be  left  here  alone,  T  shall  remain  perform- 
ing the  duties  of  Jesus  Christ's  religion  ;  no  other  shall  I 
think  of.'  This  interview  with  the  disciples  rejoiced  our 
hearts,  and  caused  us  to  praise  God  for  the  grace  which  He 
has  manifested  to  them. 

'■^Febmary  24.  We  have  spent  three  or  four  days  in  in- 
quiring about  Chittagong,  and  the  prospect  of  getting  a  pas- 
sage directly  thither,  or  by  the  way  of  Bengal. 

"This  evening  Moung  Byaa  came  up  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  Moung  Myat-yah,  who  has   lived   in  our  yard   several 


1 66  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

months,  and  formerly  attended  worship  in  the  zayat.  '  I 
have  come,'  said  Moung  Byaa,  '  to  petition  that  you  will  not 
leave  Rangoon  at  present'  'I  think,'  replied  I,  'that  it  is 
useless  to  remain  under  present  circumstances.  We  can  not 
open  the  zayaf;  we  can  not  have  public  worship  ;  no  Burman 
will  dare  to  examine  this  religion  ;  and  if  none  examine,  none 
can  be  expected  to  embrace  it.'  '  Teacher,'  said  he,  '  my  mind 
is  distressed  ;  I  can  neither  eat  nor  sleep  since  I  find  you  are 
going  away.  I  have  been  around  among  those  who  live 
near  us,  and  I  find  some  who  are  even  now  examining  the 
new  religion.  Brother  Myat-yah  is  one  of  them,  and  he  unites 
with  me  in  my  petitions.'  Here  Myat-yah  assented  that  it 
was  so.  '  Do  stay  with  us-a  few  months.  Do  stay  till  there 
are  eight  or  ten  disciples  ;  then  appoint  one  to  be  the  teacher 
of  the  rest ;  I  shall  not  be  concerned  about  the  event ;  though 
you  should  leave  the  country,  the  religion  will  spread  of  it- 
self ;  the  emperor  himself  can  not  stop  it.  But  if  you  go  now, 
and  take  the  two  disciples  that  can  follow,  I  shall  be  left 
alone.  I  can  not  baptize  those  who  may  wish  to  embrace  this 
religion.  What  can  I  do  ? '  Moung  Nau  came  in,  and  ex- 
pressed himself  in  a  similar  way.  He  thought  that  several 
would  yet  become  disciples,  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  and 
that  it  was  best  for  us  to  stay  a  while.  We  could  not  restrain 
our  tears  at  hearing  all  this  ;  and  we  told  them  that  as  we 
lived  only  for  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  Christ  among 
the  Burmans,  if  there  was  any  prospect  of  success  in  Ran- 
goon, we  had  no  desire  to  go  to  another  place,  and  would, 
therefore,  reconsider  the  matter. 

'■^February  26.  Moung  Shwa-boo,  a  sedate  and  pleasant 
man,  who  came  to  live  in  our  yard  just  before  we  went  to 
Ava,  accompanied  Moung  Myat-yah  to  the  usual  evening 
worship.  When  we  were  about  breaking  up,  Moung  Thah-lah 
began  conversation  by  saying,  '  Teacher,  your  intention  of 
going  away  has  filled  us  all  with  trouble.  Is  it  good  to  for- 
sake us  thus  ?  Notwithstanding  present  difficulties  and 
dangers,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  this  work  is  not  yours 
or  ours,  but  the  work  of  God.  If  He  give  light,  the  religion 
will  spread.    Nothing  can  impede  it.'    After  conversing  some 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  167 

time,  I  found  that  Moung  Louk,  another  inhabitant  of  the 
yard,  had  been  listening  without.  Accordingly,  he  was  in- 
vited to  take  his  seat  with  the  inquirers.  Moung  Byaa  now 
began  to  be  in  earnest ;  his  arm  was  elevated,  and  his  eyes 
brightened.  '  Let  us  all,'  said  he,  '  make  an  effort.  As  for 
me,  I  will  pray.  Only  leave  a  little  church  of  ten,  with  a 
teacher  set  over  them,  and  I  shall  be  fully  satisfied.'  Moung 
Nau  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  conversation.  The  three 
new  ones  said  nothing,  except  that  they  were  desirous  of  con- 
sidering the  religion  of  Christ.  None  of  them,  however,  was 
willing  to  admit  that,  as  yet,  he  believed  anything. 

"  We  felt  that  it  was  impossible  for  us  all  to  leave  these 
people,  in  these  interesting  circumstances  ;  and,  at  the  same 
time,  we  felt  it  very  important  that  Chittagong  should  not 
be  neglected.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  brother  Colman  should  proceed  immediately 
to  Chittagong,  collect  the  Arracanese  converts,  and  form  a 
station  to  which  new  missionaries  from  the  Board  may  at  first 
repair,  and  to  which  I  may  ultimately  flee,  with  those  of  the 
disciples  that  can  leave  the  country,  when  we  find  that  per- 
secution is  so  violent  as  to  suppress  all  further  inquiry,  and 
render  it  useless  and  rash  to  remain  ;  that  I  should  remain 
in  Rangoon  until  the  state  of  things  becomes  thus  desperate, 
and  then  endeavor  to  join  brother  Colman  in  Chittagong  ; 
but  that  if,  contrary  to  our  expectation,  the  Rangoon  station 
should,  after  a  lapse  of  several  months,  appear  to  be  tenable, 
and  that  for  an  indefinite  time,  and  some  work  be  evidently 
going  on,  brother  Colman,  after  settling  one  or  two  mission- 
aries in  Chittagong,  to  keep  that  place,  should  rejoin  me  in 
Rangoon. 

^^  February  28.  A  visit  from  Moung  Shwa-gnong.  He  had 
considered,  he  said,  my  last  words — that  one  must  believe 
and  be  baptized  in  order  to  be  a  full  disciple.  It  was  his  de- 
sire to  be  such,  and  he  wanted  to  know  what  outward  rules 
in  particular  he  must  observe  in  case  he  should  become  a 
professor.  I  told  him  that  the  disciples  of  Christ,  after  bap- 
tism, were  associated  together  ;  that  they  assembled  every 
Lord's  day  for  worship,  and  that  from  time  to  time  they  re- 


1 68  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOISr. 

ceived  the  sacrament  of  bread  and  wine.  I  then  warned  him 
of  the  danger  of  self-deception,  and  of  the  persecution  to 
which  disciples  were  exposed  in  this  country,  and  advised 
him  to  reconsider  the  matter  most  thoroughly  before  he  made 
a  definite  request  for  baptism. 

'■'■  Ma7-ch  2.  Another  visit  from  Oo  Yan.  Venture  to  indulge 
a  little  hope  that  truth  is  beginning  to  operate  on  his  mind. 

'■''March  5.  Lord's  day.  Private  worship,  as  last  Lord's  day. 
In  the  evening  received  the  sacrament  of  bread  and  wine. 
Moung  Nau  was  not  present,  having  gone  on  a  visit  to  Bau- 
lay,  his  native  place.  Had  a  refreshing  and  happy  season 
wnth  the  two  other  disciples.  Two  of  the  inquirers  were 
spectators. 

^^ March  8.  In  the  evening  had  a  very  pleasant  and  in- 
structive conference  with  the  disciples  and  inquirers.  Moung 
Thah-lah  appeared  to  great  advantage.  Took  the  lead  in  ex- 
plaining truth  to  the  new  ones,  and  quoted  Scripture  with 
singular  facility  and  aptness. 

"  Afarch  26.  Lord's  day.  Three  women  present  at  worship 
— acquaintances  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong.  They  have  visited 
Mrs.  Judson  once  or  twice  before.  The  principal  of  them  re- 
nounced Gaudama  some  years  ago,  and  adopted  the  semi-athe- 
istic system,  but  without  obtaining  any  real  satisfaction.  Two 
years  ago,  she  met  with  a  copy  of  the  tract,  which  gave  her 
an  idea  of  an  eternally-existing  God  ;  but  she  knew  not 
whence  the  paper  came.  At  length,  Moung  Shwa-gnong 
told  her  that  he  had  found  the  true  wisdom,  and  directed 
her  to  us.     Her  case  appears  very  hopeful. 

"In  the  evening,  after  worship,  had  a  protracted  conversa- 
tion with  the  disciples  and  inquirers,  on  account  of  brother 
Colman's  intended  departure  to-morrow.  Moung  Shwa-ba 
appeared  very  well  indeed.  Moung  Myat-yah  said,  '  Set  me 
down  for  a  disciple.  I  have  fully  made  up  my  mind  in  re- 
gard to  this  religion.  I  love  Jesus  Christ ;  but  I  am  not  yet 
quite  ready  for  baptism.'  After  we  dismissed  them,  they  went 
over  to  the  zayat  of  their  own  accord^  and  held  a  prayer-77ieeting. 

"And  here  I  must  close  my  journal.  We  have  spent  the 
last  evening  with  our  very  dear  brother  and  sister  Colman. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  169 

They  expect  to  embark  to-morrow  morning.  Our  parting  is 
mournful  ;  for  happy,  uncommonly  happy  has  been  our  past 
intercourse.  Nothing  but  a  sense  of  duty  could  force  the 
present  separation.  We  hope  that  it  will  be  of  short  dura- 
tion, and  that  we  shall  soon  reunite  our  labors  in  Chittagong 
or  Rangoon. 

"  On  their  departure,  Mrs.  Judson  and  myself  will  again 
be  left  to  our  former  '  loneliness  of  lot.'  In  this  situation, 
we  renewedly  commend  ourselves  to  the  remembrance  and 
prayers  of  the  Board. 

^^  April  15.  Moung  Shwa-ba  has  for  some  days  been 
talking  of  a  visit  to  Shwa-doung,  his  native  place,  to  com- 
municate the  treasure  which  he  has  found  to  his  numerous 
relations  and  friends.  This  evening,  after  expressing  his 
desires,  he  said  it  had  occurred  to  him  that  it  might  be  proper 
to  ask  permission  or  license  so  to  do.  Not  that  he  aspired 
to  set  up  as  a  teacher  ;  far  from  that ;  but  he  wanted  to  feel 
that,  in  communicating  the  Gospel,  he  was  proceeding  in  a 
regular  authorized  manner.  He  thought  that,  if  two  or 
three  disciples  could  be  raised  up  in  each  of  the  large  towns, 
it  would  much  facilitate  our  operations.  He  was  sure  that 
at  least  one  in  ten  of  his  relations  and  friends,  on  hearing 
his  story,  could  not  help  embracing  the  new  religion.  I 
secretly  exulted  at  hearing  his  proposal,  so  evidently  the  re- 
sult of  Christian  principle,  and  exhorted  him  to  constant 
self-examination  and  prayer,  as  the  means  of  discovering  his 
own  duty  and  the  divine  will. 

"April  16.  Lord's  day.  Early  in  the  morning  the  teacher, 
Moung  Shwa-gnong,  came  in,  after  an  absence  of  just  a 
month.  He  was.  soon  followed  by  Oo  Yan  and  his  two 
friends.  They  spent  the  whole  day  with  me.  All  appear 
hopeful.  The  teacher  remained,  as  usual,  after  the  others 
had  left,  and  thereby  afforded  me  an  opportunity  for  private 
conversation  He  admitted  that  all  his  objections  to  posi- 
tive commands  were  removed,  and  that  it  was  his  desire  to 
be  a  full  disciple  ;  but,  when  urged  closely  on  the  subject, 
he  intimated  that  his  wife  and  friends  were  opposed  to  his 
taking  any  decided  step,  and  that,  if  he  did,  he  was,  more- 


170  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

over,  exposed  to  imminent  danger  of  persecution  and  death. 
He  mentioned  these  things  with  so  much  feeling,  and  such 
evident  consciousness  of  simple  weakness,  as  completely  dis- 
armed me.  My  heart  was  wrung  with  pity.  I  sincerely 
sympathized  with  him  in  his  evident  mental  trials.  I  could 
not  deny  the  truth  of  what  he  said,  but  gently  hinted,  as  thy 
day  is,  thy  strength  shall  be,  and  proposed  the  example  of 
the  apostles  and  martyrs,  the  glory  of  suffering  for  Christ, 
etc.  But  the  thought  of  the  iron  mall,  and  a  secret  suspicion 
that,  if  I  was  in  his  circumstances,  I  should  perhaps  have  no 
more  courage,  restrained  my  tongue.  We  parted  with  much 
solemnity,  understanding  one  another  better  than  ever  be- 
fore. I  shall  not  probably  see  him  again  very  soon  ;  for  it 
is  too  dangerous  for  a  man  of  his  distinction  to  be  seen  com- 
ing frequently  to  the  mission-house. 

^^  April  20.  Mah  Men-la  and  her  friends  have  been  with 
Mrs.  Judson  all  day.  She  gives  increasing  evidence  of  being 
a  real  disciple,  but  is  extremely  timid,  through  fear  of  perse- 
cution. One  of  her  remarks  deserves  notice,  as  a  natural 
expression  of  true  Christian  feeling.  '  I  am  surprised,'  said 
she,  '  to  find  this  religion  has  such  an  effect  on  my  mind 
as  to  make  me  love  the  disciples  of  Christ  more  than  my 
dearest  natural  relations.'  She  is  a  woman  of  very  superior 
discernment  and  mental  energy.  One  of  the  women,  who 
has  frequently  accompanied  her  in  her  visits,  met  with  a 
tract  at  Old  Pegu  about  six  weeks  ago,  and  came  all  the  way 
to  Rangoon,  chiefly,  she  says,  on  that  account. 

"  This  day  I  have  finished  the  translation  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Ephesians,  begun  before  I  went  to  Ava,  but  intermitted 
on  account  of  the  weakness  of  my  eyes.  It  is  with  real  joy 
that  I  put  this  precious  writing  into  the  hands  of  the  dis- 
ciples. It  is  a  great  accession  to  their  scanty  stock  of 
Scripture  ;  for  they  have  had  nothing  hitherto  but  Matthew. 
Intend  to  give  them  Acts  as  fast  as  my  eyes  will  allow. 

"  April  30.  Lord's  day.  One  of  the  busiest  days  I  have 
ever  spent.  Not  a  multitude  of  visitants,  as  formerly.  That 
we  can  not  expect  in  present  circumstances.  But,  besides 
the  usual  evening  assembly,  there  were  eight  or  ten  present 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  lyt 

at  worship,  some  of  whom  were  with  me  from  nine  in  the 
morning  till  ten  at  night.  Mah  Men-la  and  her  company 
were  with  Mrs.  Judson,  who,  by  the  way,  has  had  a  serious 
attack  of  the  liver  complaint  for  a  fortnight  past,  and  is  now 
in  a  course  of  salivation. 

"Oo  Yan,  after  having  searched  out  all  the  difficult  points 
of  religion,  came  to-day  to  the  ne  plus  ultra — How  are  sin 
and  eternal  misery  reconcilable  with  the  character  of  an  infi- 
nitely holy,  wise,  and  powerful  God  ?  He  at  length  obtained 
such  satisfaction  that  he  could  not  restrain  laughing,  from 
pure  mental  delight,  and  kept  recurring  to  the  subject,  and 
repeating  my  remarks  to  those  around  him.  He  was  accom- 
panied, as  usual,  by  his  two  friends,  Moung  Thah-a  and 
Moung  Myat-lah,  husband  of  Mah  Men-la.  With  these 
came  also  one  Moung  Yo,  a  disciple  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong, 
a  poor  man,  but  a  sharp  reasoner.  He  was,  or  pretended 
to  be,  on  the  semi-atheistic  plan.  After  ascertaining  his 
precise  ground,  I  used  an  argument  which,  in  a  late  com- 
bat with  Oo  Yan,  I  found  quite  invincible.  It  is  simply 
this  :  *  No  mind,  no  wisdom  ;  temporary  mind,  temporary 
wisdom  ;  eternal  mind,  eternal  wisdom.'  Now,  as  all  the 
semi-atheists  firmly  believe  in  eternal  wisdom,  this  concise 
statement  sweeps  with  irresistible  sway  through  the  very 
joints  and  marrow  of  their  system.  And,  though  it  may 
seem  rather  simple  and  inconclusive  to  one  unacquainted 
with  Burman  reasoning,  its  effect  is  uniformly  decisive.  No 
sooner  is  this  short  sentence  uttered  than  one  significantly 
nods  his  head,  as  if  to  say,  'There  you  have  it.'  Another 
cries  out  to  the  opponent,  'You  are  undone,  destroyed.' 
Another  says,  'Talk  about  wisdom  !  where  else  will  you  find 
it  ? '  The  disputant  himself,  who  was  perhaps  preparing  a 
learned  speech  about  the  excellence,  and  efficacy,  and 
eternity  of  wisdom,  quite  disconcerted  by  this  unexpected 
onset,  sits  looking  at  the  wreck  of  his  system,  and  wonder- 
ing at  the  simple  means  which  has  spread  such  ruin  around 
him  ;  presently  he  looks  up  (for  the  Burmans  are  frequently 
candid),  and  says,  'Your  words  are  very  appropriate';  and 
perhaps  his  next  question  is,  '  How  can  I  become  a  disciple 


172  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

of  the  God  you  worship  ? '  All  the  visitors  to-day,  and,  in- 
deed, all  the  semi-atheists,  are  despisers  of  Gaudama  and 
the  established  religion  of  the  land.  Moung  Shwa-gnong 
has  disseminated  this  heresy  in  Rangoon  for  several  years  ; 
but  since  he  has  become  acquainted  with  us,  he  frequently 
tells  his  adherents,  *I  know  nothing  ;  if  you  want  true  wis- 
dom, go  to  the  foreign  teacher,  and  there  you  will  find  it.' 
I  have  reason  to  believe  that  this  heresy  is  not  confined  to 
Rangoon,  but  is  taking  root  in  various  parts  of  the  country 
and  preparing  the  way  for  the  Christian  religion.  O  for 
toleration — a  little  toleration  !  We  will  be  content  to  bap- 
tize in  the  night,  and  hold  worship  in  private  ;  but  we  do 
pray  that  we  may  not  be  utterly  banished  from  the  land  ; 
that  we  may  not  be  cut  up,  root  and  branch.  O  that  these 
poor  souls,  who  are  groping  in  the  dark,  feeling  after  the 
truth,  may  have  time  and  opportunities  to  find  the  precious 
treasure  which  will  enrich  them  forevermore  !  We  are  all 
looking  with  anxiety  toward  the  golden  feet.  Our  viceroy, 
Moung  Shwa-thah,  has  gone  thither  on  a  visit ;  and  it  is 
doubtful  whether  he  will  return,  or  his  rival,  Mya-day-men. 
If  the  latter,  there  is  some  reason  to  hope  that  we  shall  keep 
footing  in  Rangoon,  at  least  during  his  administration. 

"•May  5.  Another  visit  from  Moung  Myat-lah  and  his 
wife,  which  has  afforded  us  good  reason  to  hope  that  he  also 
has  become  a  true  believer.  His  wife  appears  the  same  as 
usual.  They  are  both  gaining  courage  in  regard  to  an  open 
profession  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  begin  to  wonder  at 
the  backwardness  of  their  former  oracle,  Moung  Shwa-gnong. 

''May  8.  Moung  Thah-a,  the  friend  of  Moung  Myat-lah, 
has  spent  most  of  the  day  with  me,  and  given  equally  good 
evidence  of  being  a  true  disciple.  He  was  formerly  an  offi- 
cer under  Government,  and  amassed  considerable  property, 
Avhich  he  mostly  spent  in  building  pagodas  and  making  offer- 
ings. But  he  obtained  no  satisfaction,  found  no  resting- 
place  for  his  soul,  until  he  became  acquainted  with  the  re- 
ligion of  Jesus.  He  now  rests  in  this  religion,  with  conscious 
security  ;  believes  and  loves  all  that  he  hears  of  it,  and  prays 
that  he  may  become  fully  a  true  disciple  of  the  Saviour. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


173 


"  Both  of  these  men  are  respectable  householders,  rather 
above  the  middling  class.  They  live  in  a  little  village  called 
Nan-dau-gong,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  mission-house. 
Moung  Myat-lah  has  a  large  family  ;  but  Moung  Thah-a  has 
none,  and  were  it  not  for  an  aged  mother  who  depends  on 
him,  he  would  follow  me,  he  says,  throughout  the  world. 

^^  May  12.  The  three  visitors  from  Nan-dau-gong  have 
been  with  us  part  of  the  day.  One  characteristic  trait  in 
these  people  is  a  particular  love  for  the  Scriptures.  They  al- 
most quarrel  with  one  another  for  the  only  copy  of  the  Ephe- 
sians  which  I  have  given  them,  and  I  therefore  determine  to 
spare  them  another  as  soon  as  it  is  done.  They  say  that  the 
translation  of  this  Epistle  is  plainer,  and  more  easily  under- 
stood, than  that  of  Matthew,  which  is  very  encouraging  to 
me,  as  I  made  it  without  the  assistance  of  any  person,  not 
even  a  Burman  teacher.  My  old  teacher  went  to  Ava  some 
months  ago,  and  I  am  now  afraid  to  employ  another,  lest 
he  should  become  too  well  acquainted  with  the  disciples  and 
inquirers,  and  betray  them  to  Government. 

'■'■May  14.  Lord's  day.  A  very  busy  day  with  the  Nan-dau- 
gong  visitors,  and  the  usual  evening  assembly. 

'■'■  May  18.  Mah  Myat  lah  and  Mali  Doke,  who  have  fre- 
quently accompained  their  relation,  Mah  Men-la,  came  to-day 
by  themselves.  They  appeared  to  be  under  solemn  religious 
impressions,  sensible  of  their  sin  and  danger,  and  anxious  to 
obtain  an  interest  in  the  Saviour,  but  are  yet  unenlightened 
in  regard  to  the  way.  Mah  Baik,  also,  sister  of  Moung 
Thah-lah,  who  formerly  afforded  us  some  encouragement, 
but  afterward  fell  off,  has  recommenced  visiting  us.  We 
hope  that  during  several  months'  confinement  she  has  not  in 
vain  meditated  on  the  truths  she  formerly  heard.  She  says 
that  her  mind  is  changed,  that  she  loves  the  Saviour,  and 
trusts  in  Him  alone  for  salvation  from  sin  and  hell,  and  de- 
sires to  become  His  disciple  in  full  by  receiving  baptism. 
Her  husband,  Moung  Nyo-dwa,  and  Moung  Thah-yah,  an- 
other resident  in  our  yard,  whom  I  think  I  have  not  yet  men- 
tioned, are  constant  attendants  on  evening  worship,  and 
seem  to  be  making  slow  advances  in  the  knowledge  and  love 


174  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

of  divine  truth.  Moung  Shwa-ba,  the  last  baptized,  begins 
to  appear  to  great  advantage  ;  has  very  correct  ideas  of  the 
Gospel  system,  and  communicates  truth  to  the  inquirers  with 
much  feeling  and  animation.  In  zeal  for  the  extension  of 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  he  surpasses  the  older  disciples. 
This  is  the  man  who,  from  not  knowing  that  there  was  such 
a  being  in  the  universe  as  a  God,  became  a  speculative  be- 
liever, a  penitent,  a  hopeful  recipient  of  grace,  and  a  candi- 
date for  baptism,  all  in  the  space  of  three  days.  Some  of 
the  above-mentioned  have,  on  the  contrary'',  been  several 
months  in  making  similar  attainments,  and  are  yet  found 
wanting.    Thus  diverse  are  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"■^Jttne  1 6.  Received  letters  from  Bengal.  News  from 
Bombay  that  a  Mahometan  has  professed  the  Gospel,  and 
from  Java  that  brother  Robinson  has  baptized  the  first  Chi- 
nese convert.  Thus  there  seems  to  be  a  beginning  in  several 
very  important  stations.  May  the  little  one  become  a  thou- 
sand. Rejoiced  to  hear  that  brother  Colman  had  safely  ar- 
rived at  Bengal,  and  embarked  on  a  boat  for  Chittagong, 
and  that  thus  far  he  had  not  met  with  any  molestation  or 
interruption  from  the  police.  May  he  get  a  footing  in  Chit- 
tagong, for  everything  here,  in  regard  to  toleration,  grows 
darker. 

'^June  27.  Mrs.  Judson  at  length  despairs  of  recovering 
without  some  proper  medical  assistance.  For  a  few  days  we 
have  hoped  that  she  would  get  some  relief  from  the  various 
applications  which  are  made,  though  at  the  expense  of  an  al- 
most total  exhaustion  of  strength  ;  but  this  morning,  to  our 
utter  disappointment,  the  disorder  has  returned  with  in- 
creased violence,  and  her  constitution  appears  to  be  rapidly 
failing.  I  have  intended,  for  some  time  past,  to  send  her 
alone  to  Bengal  ;  but  she  has  become  too  weak,  and  the 
present  circumstances  of  the  complaint  are  too  alarming,  to 
allow  such  a  measure,  and  I  have  therefore,  though  with 
great  reluctance  and  much  conflict  of  mind,  concluded  to  ac- 
company her  to  Bengal.  We  have  a  special  inducement  to 
embrace  the  opportunity  afforded  us  by  the  ship  which  lately 
brought  our  letters,  since,  if  we  reject  this,  we  shall  have  to 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  175 

wait  several  months  for  another  opportunity,  during  which 
time  Mrs,  J.  will,  in  all  probability,  be  placed  beyond  the 
reach  of  medical  assistance. 

^'■July  16.  Lord's  day.  A  few  days  ago  we  concluded  to 
receive  the  two  new  applicants  for  baptism  ;  but  I  thought 
it  most  prudent,  partly  by  way  of  trying  their  sincerity,  to 
send  them  a  message,  suggesting  that,  since  I  was  greatly 
occupied  in  getting  ready  for  sea,  and  since  one  of  them  was 
not  so  well  acquainted  with  the  doctrines  of  religion  as  was 
desirable,  it  might  be  better  to  defer  their  baptism  till  my 
return. 

"This  morning  they  came  up  in  much  trouble.  They 
stated  that,  as  they  had  fully  embraced  the  Christian  religion 
in  their  hearts,  they  could  not  remain  easy  without  being 
baptized,  according  to  the  command  of  Christ ;  that  no  man 
could  tell  whether  I  should  ever  return  or  not,  and  that  it 
was  their  earnest  petition  that  if  I  could  possibly  find  time, 
and  thought  them  worthy  of  the  ordinance,  I  would  admin- 
ister it  to  them  before  I  went  away.  They  did  not  wish  me 
to  go  out  to  the  usual  place,  as  that  was  at  some  distance, 
but  would  be  baptized  in  a  small  pond  near  the  mission- 
house.  Moung  Gway  said  that,  though  he  was  ver/ ignorant, 
he  knew  enough  of  this  religion  to  love  it  sincerely,  and  to 
trust  in  Christ  for  salvation  from  all  his  sins.  I  re-examined 
them  both,  stated  to  them  the  great  danger  of  professing  a 
foreign  religion,  etc.,  and,  on  their  urging  their  request,  told 
them  I  would  baptize  them  in  the  evening. 

"  Was  obliged  to  be  out  all  the  afternoon,  getting  our 
things  aboard  the  ship,  as  we  expect  to  move  down  the  river 
to-morrow  morning.  At  night  baptized  the  two  new  disci- 
ples, after  which  we  all  partook  of  the  Lord's  supper  for  the 
last  time. 

"y>^/v  17.  Ship  to  be  detained  two  days.  In  the  fore- 
noon, the  teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  came  in.  I  received 
him  with  some  reserve,  but  soon  found  that  he  had  not  stayed 
away  so  long  from  choice,  having  been  ill  with  a  fever  for 
some  time,  and  occupied  also  with  the  illness  of  his  family 
and  adherents.     He  gradually  wore  away  my  reserve  ;   and 


176  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

we  had  not  been  together  two  hours,  before  I  felt  more  satis- 
fied than  ever,  from  his  account  of  his  mental  trials,  his 
struggles  with  sin,  his  strivings  to  be  holy,  his  penitence,  his 
faith,  his  exercises  in  secret  prayer,  that  he  is  a  subject  of 
the  special  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  he  is  indeed  a 
true  disciple.  He  stayed  all  day.  In  the  afternoon  the  five 
Nan-dau-gong  visitors,  the  doctor  Oo  Yan,  and  several  others 
came  together,  and  we  had  much  interesting  conversation. 
Toward  the  close,  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  as  if  to  bring  things 
to  a  crisis,  addressed  me  thus  :  '  My  lord  teacher,  there  are 
now  several  of  us  present  who  have  long  considered  this  re- 
ligion. I  hope  that  we  are  all  believers  in  Jesus  Christ.'  '  I 
am  afraid,'  replied  I,  *  to  say  that ;  however,  it  is  easily  ascer- 
tained ;  and  let  me  begin  with  you,  teacher.  I  have  hereto- 
fore thought  that  you  fully  believed  in  the  eternal  God  ;  but 
I  have  had  some  doubt  whether  you  fully  believed  in  the  Son 
of  God,  and  the  atonement  which  He  has  made.'  '  I  assure 
you,'  he  replied,  '  that  I  am  as  fully  persuaded  of  the  latter 
as  of  the  former.'  '  Do  you  believe,  then,'  I  continued,  '  that 
none  but  the  disciples  of  Christ  will  be  saved  from  sin  and 
hell  ?'  '  None  but  His  disciples.'  '  How,  then,  can  you  re- 
main witht)ut  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  becoming  His  full  disciple  in  body  and  soul?'  *  It  is 
my  earnest  desire  to  do  so,  by  receiving  baptism  ;  and  for 
the  very  purpose  of  expressing  that  desire,  I  have  come  here 
to-day.'  *  You  say  you  are  desirous  of  receiving  baptism  : 
may  I  ask  when  you  desire  to  receive  it  ? '  *  At  any  time  you 
will   please  to  give   it.     Now — this  moment,  if  you  please.' 

*  Do  you  wish  to  receive  baptism  in  public  or  in  private?' 

*  I  will  receive  it  at  any  time,  and  in  any  circumstances,  that 
you  please  to  direct.'  I  then  said,  '  Teacher,  I  am  satisfied 
from  your  conversation  this  forenoon,  that  you  are  a  true 
disciple,  and  I  reply,  therefore,  that  I  am  as  desirous  of  giv- 
ing you  baptism  as  you  are  of  receiving  it.'  This  conversa- 
tion had  a  great  effect  on  all  present.  The  disciples  rejoiced  ; 
the  rest  were  astonished  ;  for  though  they  have  long  thought 
that  he  believed  the  Christian  religion,  they  could  not  think 
that  such  a  man  could  easily  be  brought  to  profess  it,  and 


LIFE  IN  RA  NGOON.  1 7  7 

suffer  himself  to  be  put  under  the  water  by  a  foreigner.  I 
then  turned  to  Moung  Thah-a,  one  of  the  Nan-dau-gong 
people,  who,  I  hope,  is  a  true  believer.  'Are  you  willing  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Jesus  Christ  ? '  'If  the  teacher 
Moung  Shwa-gnong  consents,'  said  he,  'why  should  I  hesi- 
tate?' 'And  if  he  does  not  consent,  what  then?'  'I  must 
wait  a  little  longer.'  '  Stand  by,'  said  I  ;  *  you  trust  in 
Moung  Shwa-gnong,  rather  than  in  Jesus  Christ.  You  are 
not  worthy  of  being  baptized.'  Mount  Myat-lah,  on  being 
similarly  interrogated,  wished  to  consider  a  little  longer. 
Oo  Yan  was  still  further  from  committing  himself.  Of  the 
women  present,  I  interrogated  Mah  Men-la  only.  She  had 
evidently  a  considerable  struggle  in  her  mind,  probably  on 
account  of  her  husband's  having  just  declined.  At  length 
she  said  that,  if  I  thought  it  suitable  for  her  to  be  baptized, 
she  was  desirous  of  receiving  the  ordinance.  I  told  her  that 
her  reply  was  not  satisfactory.  I  could  not  consent  to  bap- 
tize any  one  who  could  possibly  remain  easy  without  being 
baptized,  and  then  I  related  the  story  of  the  last  two  disci- 
ples ;  after  which  the  party  broke  up. 

"  In  the  evening,  I  laid  the  case  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong 
before  the  church,  and  we  joyfully  agreed  to  receive  him  to 
communion,  on  his  being  baptized. 

"July  18.  In  the  morning,  the  teacher  again  made  his 
appearance.  I  again  asked  him  whether  he  preferred  being 
baptized  in  the  day  or  in  the  evening,  and  he  again  left  it  to 
my  decision  ;  on  which  I  advised  him  to  wait  till  night.  He 
appeared  very  well  through  the  day,  his  deportment  solemn, 
his  conversation  spiritual.  Just  at  night,  I  called  in  two  or 
three  of  the  disciples,  read  the  account  of  the  baptism  of  the 
eunuch,  made  the  baptismal  prayer,  and  then  proceeded  with 
the  teacher  to  the  accustomed  place,  went  down  into  the 
water,  and  baptized  him. 

"  On  my  return,  I  found  that  Mah  Men-la,  whom  I  had 
left  with  Mrs.  Judson,  had  gone  away.  As  soon  as  she  saw 
that  the  teacher  had  actually  gone  to  be  baptized,  she  ex- 
claimed, 'Ah,  he  has  now  gone  to  obey  the  command  of  Jesus 
12 


178  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Christ,  while  I  remain  without  obeying.  I  shall  not  be  able 
to  sleep  this  night.  I  must  go  home,  and  consult  my  hus- 
band, and  return.'  In  the  evening,  we  again  partook  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  in  consequence  of  the  admission  of  the 
teacher,  and  my  expected  departure  on  the  morrow.  We 
had  just  finished,  when,  about  nine  o'clock,  Mah  Men-la  re- 
turned, accompanied  by  the  two  other  women  from  her  vil- 
lage. She  immediately  requested  to  be  baptized.  The  dis- 
ciples present  assented  without  hesitation.  I  told  her  that  I 
rejoiced  to  baptize  her,  having  been  long  satisfied  that  she 
had  received  the  grace  of  Christ ;  and,  it  being  very  late,  I 
led  her  out  to  the  pond  near  the  house  by  lantern  light,  and 
thus  baptized  the  tenth  Burman  convert,  and  the  first  wom- 
an. Mah  Men-la  is  fifty-one  years  old,  of  most  extensive 
acquaintance  through  the  place,  of  much  strength  of  mind, 
decision  of  character,  and  consequent  influence  over  others. 
She  is,  indeed,  among  women  what  Moung  Shwa-gnong  is 
among  men. 

"  On  returning  to  the  house,  she  said,  '  Now  I  have  taken 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  have  nothing 
to  do  but  to  commit  myself,  soul  and  body,  into  the  hands  of 
my  Lord,  assured  that  He  will  never  suffer  me  to  fall  away.' 
Several  visitors  spent  the  night  at  the  mission-house. 

^^July  19.  In  the  morning,  we  all  met  for  worship.  After 
I  had  prayed,  Moung  Thah-lah  and  Moung  Shwa-ba  both 
prayed,  with  much  propriety  and  feeling.  In  the  course  of 
the  forenoon,  Mah  Men-la's  husband,  and  Moung  Thah-a, 
and  the  doctor,  and  several  others,  came  in,  so  that  we  had 
quite  a  houseful.  At  noon,  we  set  out  for  the  river,  fol- 
lowed by  near  a  hundred  people,  the  women  crying  aloud  in 
the  Burman  manner,  and  almost  all  deeply  affected.  When 
we  entered  the  boat,  I  called  the  teacher  and  Mah  Men-la 
and  a  few  others  to  go  with  us  to  the  ship,  which  lay  at 
some  distance  in  the  river.  The  rest  remained  on  the  wharf, 
bidding  us  farewell,  telling  us  to  come  back  soon,  etc.  Thus 
we  left  the  shores  of  Rangoon.  Those  who  accompanied  us 
to  the  ship  stayed  an  hour  or  two  and  returned.    We  stood  as 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


179 


long  on  the  quarter-deck  looking  at  them  as  the  others  had 
stood  on  the  wharf  looking  at  us.* 

"y«/y  20.  The  ship  having  been  unable  to  move  yester- 
day, on  account  of  the  anchor's  being  foul,  the  teacher, 
Moung  Shwa-gnong,  espied  the  masts  from  his  village,  and 
came  off  in  a  boat,  with  his  wife  and  another  woman.  Soon 
after,  most  of  the  Nan-dau-gong  people  came  to  the  mission- 
house,  and,  finding  that  the  ship  had  not  dropped  down, 
came  off,  accompanied  by  several  of  our  own  people.  We 
were  much  gratified  by  this  fresh  proof  of  their  attachment ; 
but  the  ship  got  under  weigh  immediately,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  leave  us  for  the  last  time." 

The  following  letter  sent  by  these  newly-made  converts 
to  their  brethren  in  America,  shows  of  what  stuff  this  first 
Burman  church  was  made  : 

"Brethren  all,  who  live  in  America!  The  brethren  who  live  in  Bur- 
mah  address  you. 

"We  inform  you,  brethren,  that,  trusting  in  the  grace  of  the  etemal 
God,  the  divine  Spirit,  and  the  excellent  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we 
remain  happy;  and  seeing  our  real  state  and  circumstances,  we  have 
repentance  of  soul,  and  an  anticipation  of  the  happiness  of  heaven. 

"God,  the  sum  of  all  perfection,  without  beginning  and  without  end, 
subsists  through  successive  ages ;  and  this  world,  the  earth  and  sky,  and 
all  things  therein,  which  He  has  created,  are  according  as  He  created 
them. 

"  God,  the  Creator,  is  replete  with  goodness  and  purity,  and  is  exempt 
from  old  age,  sickness,  death,  and  annihilation  ;  and  thus  there  is  none 
that  can  compare  with  Him. 

"It  is  contained  in  the  Scriptures,  that  God,  in  His  own  nature,  unites 
three,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  is  [yet]  m)'steriously 
one  God ;  that  He  is  in  all  places,  but  dwells  in  heaven,  by  the  clearer 
manifestation  of  His  glory ;  that  His  power  and  wisdom  are  unrivalled; 
and  that  He  enjoys  happiness  incomprehensible  to  creatures. 

"  But  the  Burmans  know  not  the  true  God  ;   they  know  not  tlie  true 


*  "  One  of  these  female  disciples  was  found  at  Rangoon  by  the  missionaries  in  Au^st, 
1852,  having:  attained  the  age  of  eighty  years.  From  the  time  of  her  baptism  until 
then,  for  thirty  years,  she  had  maintained,  in  the  midst  of  heathenism,  a  consistent 
Christian  profession.  She  remembered  well  Mr.  Judson  and  'the  Mamma'  Judson, 
and  was  in  daily  expectation  of  meeting  them  again  in  heaven." 


I  So  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

religion;  they  worship  a  false  god;  they  practice  a  false  religion  ;  and 
[thus]  they  transgress  the  divine  law,  and  sin  against  the  most  estimable 
Benefactor,  and  therefore  they  neither  expiate  their  sins  nor  acquire 
merit.  And  by  excessively  loving  themselves  and  the  filth  of  this  world, 
they  love  not  nor  worship  the  eternal  God,  nor  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  hut  regard  the  good  things  of  this  world  merely. 

"  That  the  Burmans,  who  know  not  the  way  to  eternal  happiness, 
niight  become  acquainted  with  it ;  that  they  might  be  renewed  ;  and 
that  they  might  escape  everlasting  punishment,  the  American  teacher 
Judson  and  wife  have  both  come  to  Burmah  and  proclaimed  the  Gospel 
of  the  divine  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  on  which  some  Burmans  have 
become  disciples.  And  on  these  accounts,  the  disciple  Moung  Shwa-ba 
says  that  your  favor  is  very  great  [or  he  gives  you  very  many  thanks]. 

"  Those  who  love  divine  grace,  who  believe,  who  hear  and  consider 
the  Gospel,  who  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  repent  of  their  sins, 
attain  the  state  of  disciples.  And  that  this  religion  may  spread  ever^-- 
where,  Moung  Shwa-ba  is  making  endeavors,  and  constantly  praying,  to 
proclaim  the  Gospel.  And  he  prays  thus  :  O  eternal  God,  graciously 
grant  the  favor  which  I  desire.  Graciously  grant  that  I  may  have  regard 
to  Thy  divine  will,  and  be  conformed  thereto.  Be  pleased  to  take  notice 
of  my  supplications,  O  God.  I  desire  not  to  seek  my  own  profit ;  I  de- 
sire constantly  to  seek  the  profit  of  others.  Thou  art  the  Creator  of  all 
things,  and  if  Thou  art  pleased  to  be  gracious,  O,  grant  that  I  may  be 
enabled  to  promote  the  good  of  others.  Open  Thou  the  eyes  of  my  mind 
and  give  me  light.  And  when  I  shall  preach  in  various  places,  evermore 
send  forth  the  divine  Spirit  that  multitudes  may  become  disciples.  That 
Thou  wilt  grant  these  things,  I  beseech  Thee,  O  God. 

"  The  disciple  Moung  Shwa-ba  has  composed  this  writing,  and  com- 
mitted it  to  the  hand  of  the  teacher;  [even]  in  the  Burman  year  11S2, 
on  the  7th  of  the  waxing  of  the  moon  Wah-goung,  he  has  written  this, 
and  delivered  it  to  the  teacher  and  his  wife. 

"  P.S.  Brethren,  there  are  in  the  country  of  Burmah  nine  persons 
who  have  become  disciples." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  embarked  at  Rangoon  July  19,  1820, 
and  arrived  at  Calcutta  on  the  iSth  of  August.  What  a 
pang  it  must  have  cost  them  to  leave  their  little  mission  ju.st 
at  this  time  when,  after  long  years  of  waiting,  they  saw  the 
Burmans  eagerly  and  rapidly  embracing  the  Gospel !  On 
the  wtxy  day  of  embarkation  Mr.  Judson  wrote  to  Dr.  Bald- 
win : 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  l8l 

"  Rangoox,  July  19,  1S2C. 

"Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  My  last  gave  you  some  account  of 
our  affairs  to  the  time  of  brother  Colman's  departure.  Soon 
after  that  event  Mrs.  Judson  was  taken  ill.  The  symptoms 
were  at  first  slight,  but  they  gradually  became  more  decisive 
and  alarming  ;  and  the  disorder  continued  to  gain  ground, 
until  she  was  unable  to  leave  the  couch,  or  walk  across  the 
room,  without  bringing  on  violent  suffering.  Under  such 
circumstances  I  determined  to  accompany  her  to  Bengal, 
partly  for  the  sake  of  the  voyage,  w^hich  is  commonly  bene- 
ficial in  such  disorders,  and  partly  to  procure  medical  assist- 
ance, of  which  we  are  perfectly  destitute  in  Rangoon. 

"Never  did  I  feel  more  unwilling  to  leave  Rangoon,  nor 
was  the  mission  ever  in  more  interesting  circumstances  than 
at  the  present  time.  Since  our  return  from  Ava,  I  have  not 
ventured  to  make  any  public  movement,  but  confined  myself 
at  home,  holding  private  worship,  translating  the  Scriptures, 
and  conversing  with  all  who  visited  me.  The  Spirit  of  God 
has,  however,  continued  operating  in  the  minds  of  several, 
and  carries  on  the  work  which  began  before  we  went  up  to 

Ava All  the   ten  baptized  disciples  give  satisfactory 

evidence  of  being  true  converts.  Those  of  longest  standing 
are  evidently  growing  Christians.  Some  of  them  take  the 
lead  in  prayer-meetings  with  great  propriety  ;  and  nearly  all 
of  them  have  made  some  attempt  at  this  exercise  before  the 
church.  A  good  degree  of  Christian  affection  prevails  among 
them  all,  the  appearance  of  which,  Moung  Shwa-gnong  says, 
convinced  him  more  than  anything  else  of  the  divine  origin 
and  efficacy  of  our  religion.  The  proofs  of  their  attachment  to 
us  are  too  numerous  to  be  detailed.  Even  at  this  moment 
the  house  is  full  of  people  bewailing  our  departure,  and  beg- 
ging us  to  return  soon,  most  of  whom  never  have  received, 
and  have  no  prospect  of  ever  receiving,  from  us  any  temporal 
advantage  whatever. 

"We  are  just  now  going  aboard  ship.  I  write  this  letter 
in  haste,  and  leave  it  to  be  forwarded  by  another  opportunity, 
that  you  may  get  some  intelligence  of  us,  in  case  we  are  lost 
at  sea. 


1 82  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

"  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that,  whatever  may  be  the 
event  of  the  present  voyage,  in  regard  to  Mrs.  Judson's  health, 
it  is  my  intention  to  return  to  this  place  as  soon  as  possible." 

After  his  arrival  at  Calcutta,  Mr.  Judson  writes  as  follows 
to  Dr.  Bolles  : 

"  About  two  months  ago  we  commended  our  little  church  of 
ten  converted  Burmans  to  the  protection  and  blessing  of  Him 
in  whom  they  have  trusted,  and  with  reluctant  hearts  and 
weeping  eyes  tore  ourselves  away  from  the  shores  of  Burmah. 
Mrs.  J.'s  illness  alone  forced  us  to  adopt  this  measure.  She  had 
been  growing  worse  for  several  months.  I,  at  first,  intended 
to  send  her  alone  to  Bengal.  But  her  state  finally  became  so 
alarming  that  mere  humanity  seemed  to  forbid  my  sending 
her  aboard  ship  without  a  single  female  companion  or  friend, 
to  be  consigned  in  all  probability  to  the  deep,  or  buried 
unwept  on  some  foreign  shore.  I  felt  that  the  strictest  de- 
votedness  to  the  mission  did  not  forbid  my  leaving  the  sta- 
tion for  a  time,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  recovery  of  one  who 
had  been  my  faithful  coadjutor  in  missionary  privation  and 
toil  for  many  years,  or  at  least  to  administer  some  consola- 
tion to  her  in  the  final  trial,  and  perform  in  person  the  last 
offices  which  are  due  to  those  we  love  on  earth." 

But  these  mournful  forebodings' were  not  to  be  realized. 

The  three  months  spent  at  Serampore,  near  Calcutta, 
caused  a  great  improvement  in  Mrs.  Judson's  health.  The 
two  weary  missionaries  had  sweet  and  restful  intercourse 
with  the  English  Baptists  stationed  there,  and  with  "  the 
affectionate  family  oi  Mr.  Hough."  Mr.  Judson's  enjoy- 
ment was  only  marred  by  his  extreme  anxiety  about  "  those 
few  sheep  that  I  have  left  in  the  Burman  wilderness."  "  Oh, 
may  the  great  Shepherd,"  he  prays,  "  feed  the  little  flock, 
and  gather  the  lambs  with  His  arm,  and  carry  them  in  His 
bosom." 

On  November  23d  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  embarked  for 
Rangoon,  where  they  arrived  January  5,  1821. 


LIFE  IN  RA  NGO  ON.  183 

"  Our  voyage,"  Mrs.  Judson  writes,  "  was  tedious  and  dis- 
tressing above  any  that  we  had  ever  taken.  The  brig  was  so 
small  and  so  filled  with  native  passengers  that  we  were  un- 
able to  obtain  the  least  exercise  by  walking  on  deck,  and 
was  so  full  of  scorpions  and  centipedes  that  we  never  dared 
to  shut  our  eyes  to  sleep  without  completely  enclosing  our- 
selves with  curtains.  In  addition  to  these  inconveniences, 
we  had  a  strong  contrary  wind  and  frequently  violent  squalls, 
with  the  most  terrific  thunder  and  lightning  we  had  ever 
witnessed.  We  were  six  weeks  in  making  a  passage  which 
is  generally  made  in  ten  or  fifteen  days." 

After  their  joyous  arrival  in  Rangoon  they  plunged  once 
more  into  their  missionary  work. 

Extracts /i-om  yournal. 

^'■January  5,  182 1.  As  we  drew  near  the  town,  we  strained 
our  eyes  to  distinguish  the  countenances  of  our  friends  amid 
the  crowd  that  we  saw  assembled  on  the  wharf.  The  first 
that  we  recognized  was  the  teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong, 
with  his  hands  raised  to  his  head  as  he  discerned  us  on  the 
deck  ;  and  on  landing  we  met  successively  with  Mah  Men-la, 
and  Moung  Thah-lah,  and  several  others,  men,  women,  and 
children,  who,  after  our  usual  examination  at  the  custom- 
office,  accompanied  us  to  the  mission-house.  Soon  after, 
Moung  Nau  and  others  came  in,  who  had  not  at  first  heard 
of  our  arrival.  In  the  evening,  I  took  my  usual  seat  among 
the  disciples,  and  when  we  bowed  down  in  prayer,  the  hearts 
of  us  all  flowed  forth  in  gratitude  and  praise. 

''^January  7.  Lord's  day.  Had  worship  and  administered 
the  Lord's  supper.  Most  of  the  disciples  present ;  but  some 
of  them  unavoidably  detained  in  consequence  of  the  distress 
which  presses  upon  all  ranks  of  people,  occasioned  by  the 
expedition  to  Siam. 

^^ January  13.  Yesterday  Moung  Gway,  the  only  one  of 
the  baptized  whom  we  had  not  seen,  returned  from  the  woods 
on  hearing  of  our  arrival  ;  and  I  am  now  able  to  record  (and 
I  do  it  with  the  most  heartfelt  satisfaction  and  grateful  praise 


1 84  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON/RAM  JUDSON. 

to  the  preserving  Saviour),  that,  though  they  have,  for  the 
space  of  six  months,  been  almost  destitute  of  the  means  of 
grace,  and  those  who  lived  in  our  yard  have  been  dispersed 
and  forced,  through  fear  of  heavy  extortion  and  oppression 
from  petty  officers  of  Government,  to  flee  into  the  woods  or 
take  refuge  under  some  Government  person  who  could  pro- 
tect them,  yet  not  one  of  them  has  dishonored  his  profession, 
but  all  remain  firm  in  their  faith  and  attachment  to  the  cause. 
I  do  not,  however,  perceive  that  any  of  them  have  made  the 
least  advance  in  any  respect  whatever  ;  nor  was  this  to  be 
expected,  as  they  have  not  even  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
meeting  for  worship. 

"The  same  remarks  are  to  be  made  concerning  the  four 
Nan-dau-gong  people,  companions  of  Mah  Men-la,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  hopefully  pious  before  we  left.  The  doctor. 
Go  Yan,  with  whom  we  did  not  feel  so  well  satisfied,  has 
been  with  me  repeatedly,  and,  in  the  last  interview,  gave 
good  reason  to  hope  that  he  also  is  a  true  convert.  He  seems 
at  length  to  have  obtained  light  and  satisfaction  on  the  two 
difficult  points  which  have  so  long  perplexed  him — namely, 
the  doctrine  of  vicarious  atonement,  and  the  possibility  of 
being  a  disciple  of  Christ,  by  keeping  the  two  commands  of 
grace.  Repent  and  believe,  without  perfectly  keeping  the 
two  immutable  commands  of  merit.  Love  God  entirely,  and 
love  others  as  yourself.  O  how  interesting  it  is  to  see 
(you  can  almost  see  it  with  your  eyes)  the  light  of  truth 
dawning  upon  a  precious  soul  hitherto  groping  in  darkness  ! 
If  Go  Yan  prove  a  true  convert,  he  will  be  a  most  precious 
acquisition  to  our  cause,  next  to  Moung  Shwa-gnong.  He 
is  a  man  of  talent  and  respectability.  His  words  are  as 
smooth  as  oil,  as  sweet  as  honey,  and  as  sharp  as  a  razor. 

"  In  respect  to  Mah  Bike,  she  has  given  way  to  her  violent 
temper,  and  involved  her  husband  in  debt ;  and  though  she 
now  professes  to  repent  and  desire  baptism,  and  though  we 
have  some  hope  that  she  is  not  destitute  of  grace,  we  feel 
obliged  at  present  to  put  her  away  from  us  as  a  wicked 
person. 

"  The  most  important  event  (and  that  relates  of  course  to 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  185 

Moung  Shwa-gnong)  remains  to  be  mentioned.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  he  was  accused  before  the  former  viceroy 
of  being  a  heretic,  and  that  the  simple  reply,  '  Inquire  fur- 
ther,' spread  dismay  amongst  us  all,  and  was  one  occasion  of 
our  visit  to  Ava.  Soon  after  Mya-day-men  assumed  the  gov- 
ernment of  this  province,  all  the  priests  and  officers  of  the 
village  where  Moung  Shwa-gnong  lives  entered  into  a  con- 
spiracy to  destroy  him.  They  held  daily  consultations,  and 
assumed  a  tone  of  triumph  ;  while  poor  Moung  Shwa- 
gnong's  courage  began  to  flag,  and,  though  he  does  not  like 
to  own  it,  he  thought  he  must  flee  for  his  life.  At  length 
one  of  the  conspiracy,  a  member  of  the  supreme  court,  went 
into  the  presence  of  the  viceroy,  and  in  order  to  sound  his 
disposition,  complained  that  the  teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong, 
was  making  every  endeavor  to  turn  the  priests'  rice-pot  bot- 
tom upwards.  '■  What  consequence  V  's.^ixA^Q.  Viceroy.  '■  Let  the 
priests  turn  it  back  again.'  This  sentence  was  enough  ;  the 
hopes  of  the  conspiracy  were  blasted,  and  all  the  disciples 
felt  that  they  were  sure  of  toleration  under  Mya-day-men. 
But  his  administration  will  not  probably  continue  many 
months. 

^^ January  20.  This  afternoon  Mrs.  Judson  went  to  the  vil- 
lage of  the  Nan-dau-gong  people  to  fix  on  a  spot  for  the 
erection  of  a  small  school-house.  Mah  Men-la  has,  of  her 
own  accord,  proposed  to  open  a  school  in  the  precincts  of  her 
house,  to  teach  the  girls  and  boys  of  the  village  to  read  ; 
in  consequence  of  which,  the  latter  will  not  be  under  the 
necessity  of  going  to  the  Burman  priests  for  education  as 
usual.  When  we  found  that  she  had  really  made  a  begin- 
ning, we  told  her  that  some  of  the  Christian  females  in 
America  would,  doubtless,  defray  the  expenses  of  the  under- 
taking, and  make  some  compensation  to  the  instructress. 
We  fear  the  school  will  not  succeed  in  the  present  state  of 
the  country  ;  but  we  regard  the  voluntary  attempt  of  Mah 
Men-la  as  illustrative'  of  the  efficiency  of  evangelical  faith. 

"  On  Tuesday  evening  we  recommenced  our  usual  Tues- 
day and  Friday  evening  prayer-meetings  ;  but  we  expect  to 
have  very  few  present,  as   most  of  the  disciples  who   for- 


1 86  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

merly  lived  around  us  are  afraid  to  return  on  account  of  tlie 
present  general  distress,  from  which  we  are  unable  to  pro- 
tect them. 

"January  21.  Lord's  day.  All  the  disciples  but  one,  and 
all  the  hopeful  inquirers;  were  present  at  worship  ;  who,  to- 
gether with  some  others,  made  up  an  assembly  of  about 
twenty-five  adults,  all  paying  respectful  and  devout  atten- 
tion ;  the  most  interesting  assembly,  all  things  considered, 
that  I  have  yet  seen.  How  impossible  it  seemed,  two  years 
ago,  that  such  a  precious  assembly  could  ever  be  raised  up 
out  of  the  Egyptian  darkness,  the  atheistic  superstition  of 
this  heathen  land  !  After  worship,  two  of  the  Nan-dau-gong 
people  had  some  particular  conversation  with  Moung  Thah- 
lah  about  baptism.  Much  encouraged  by  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  things  this  day.  Why  art  thou  ever  cast  down, 
O  my  soul  ?  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me  ?  Hope 
thou  in  God — the  God  of  the  Burmans,  as  well  as  David's 
God  ;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  Him  for  the  help  of  His  counte- 
nance, revealed  in  the  salvation  of  thousands  of  these  im- 
mortal souls. 

"February  i6.  Moung  Ing  has  returned.  He  is  the  second 
Burman  whose  heart  was  touched  by  divine  grace.  We  re- 
joiced to  see  his  face  again,  notwithstanding  his  rough  and 
unprepossessing  appearance,  occasioned  by  the  hardships 
through  which  he  has  passed  since  he  left  us.  On  his  arrival 
at  Bike,  a  town  far  below  Rangoon,  he  showed  his  copy  of 
Matthew  to  the  Roman  Catholic  priest  stationed  there,  who 
directly  committed  it  to  the  flames  ;  and  gave,  instead  of  it, 
a  writing  of  his  own  device.  But,  through  divine  grace,  our 
poor. friend  retained  his  integrity,  and  remained  steadfast  in 
the  sentiments  which  he  formerly  embraced. 

"February  20.  This  is  the  second  evening  in  which  Mrs. 
Judson  and  myself  have  had  an  interview  with  the  viceroy 
and  his  lady,  in  their  inner  apartment.  Her  highness  gave 
us  some  very  encouraging  hints  on  the  subject  of  religious 
toleration,  and  promised  to  introduce  us  to  the  emperor,  on 
his  visiting  Rangoon, next  fall,  in  prosecution  of  the  war  with 
Siam. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  187 

^^ February  25.  Lord's  day.  Moung  Ing  presented  his  peti- 
tion for  baptism  and  admission  into  the  church,  and  we 
unhesitatingly  agreed  to  grant  his  request  next  Lord's  day. 
Not  one  of  the  disciples  has  given  more  decided  evidence  of 
being  a  sincere  and  hearty  believer  in  the  Lord  Jesus.  The 
manner  of  his  first  acquaintance  with  the  truth  is  somewhat 
noticeable.  I  had  conversed  with  two  men  who  visited  the 
zayat  the  preceding  evening,  and  given  them  a  tract.  On 
their  way  home  they  called  at  the  house  of  the  Tsah-len 
teacher,  where  Moung  Ing  resided,  said  a  few  things  about 
the  eternal  God  and  the  new  religion,  by  way  of  disapproval, 
and  concluded  that  the  tract  was  good  for  nothing  but  to 
tear  up  and  make  cigars  of.  But  the  truth  which  they 
despised  fell  like  a  flash  of  lightning  on  the  benighted  soul 
of  Moung  Ing.  The  next  morning,  before  sunrise,  he  was  in 
the  porch  of  the  zayat,  and,  on  opening  the  doors,  we  found 
the  poor  man  standing  without.  He  will  not,  I  trust,  meet 
with  any  such  detention  at  the  doors  of  heaven. 

'■'■March  4.  Lord's  day.  Moung  Ing  received  baptism  im- 
mediately after  worship  in  the  afternoon.  Several  of  the 
hopeful  inquirers  witnessed  the  administration. 

^'-  May  15.  Dispatched  the  manuscript  of  Ephesians,  and 
the  first  part  of  Acts,  to  Serampore,  requesting  brother 
Hough  to  procure  an  edition  of  six  hundred  of  each,  at  the 
expense  of  the  Board. 

"  At  night  received  a  visit  from  Moung  Gwa,  brother-in-law 
to  Moung  Shwa-ba.  He  was  accompanied  by  one  Moung 
Thah-ee,  an  intractable,  furious  creature,  noted  for  browbeat- 
ing and  silencing  every  antagonist.  He  professes  to  be  a 
strict  Buddhist,  without  the  least  doubt  on  the  subject  of 
religion  ;  but  having  heard  of  my  object  in  coming  to  this 
country,  wishes  to  give  me  an  opportunity  of  making  him 
doubt.  I  found  him  extremely  difficult  to  manage,  and 
finally  told  him  that  he  must  get  a  humble  mind,  and  pray 
to  the  true  God,  or  he  would  never  attain  true  wisdom.  This 
threw  him  into  a  passion.  He  said  he  would  have  me  to 
know  that  he  was  no  common  man.  He  could  dispute  with 
governors  and  kings,  etc.     I  then  gave  him  a  tract,  which 


1 88  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

he  affected  to  disdain,  but  finally  received  it  and  went 
away. 

^''  Alay  i6.  Moung  Gwa  called  to  apologize  for  his  com- 
panion's conduct.  He  said  that,  from  being  always  victorious 
in  disputation,  he  had  become  insolent  and  overbearing,  but 
that  he  was  really  inquiring  after  the  truth,  and  had  been 
reading  the  tract  attentively.  Moung  Gwa  himself  seems  to 
be  favorably  disposed  to  the  Christian  religion. 

"■May  17.  Moung  Thah-ee  spent  the  whole  evening  with 
me.  I  find  that  he  has  a  strong  mind,  capable  of  grasping 
the  most  difficult  subject.  He  listened  to  the  truth  with 
much  more  attention  and  patience  than  at  first. 

"  May  18.  Moung  Thah-ee  came  again,  accompanied  by 
several  of  his  admirers.  At  first  he  behaved  with  some  pro- 
priety, and  allowed  conversation  to  proceed  in  a  regular 
manner.  But  soon  he  descended  into  his  own  native  element, 
and  stormed  and  raged.  When  I  found  that  he  would  be 
utterly  unreasonable,  and  not  permit  me  even  to  finish  a  sen- 
tence, I  remained  silent,  and  suffered  him  to  display  himself. 
When  he  was  quite  exhausted,  I  took  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
hibit a  brief  view  of  the  reasons  which  convinced  me  that  the 
religion  of  Gaudama  is  false,  and  the  Buddhist  scriptures  fic- 
titious, and  then  challenged  him  to  refute  my  statement. 
But  he  declined,  saying  that  we  were  both  tired,  and  he 
would  finish  the  debate  some  other  time. 

'■''May  19.  A  succession  of  company  all  the  day.  At  night, 
Moung  Thah-ee  came  alone,  intending  to  have  some  private 
conversation  ;  but  no  opportunity  offered. 

"  May  20.  Lord's  day.  Encountered  another  new  charac- 
ter, one  Moung  Long,  from  the  neighborhood  of  Shwa-doung, 
a  disciple  of  the  great  Toung-dwen  teacher,  the  acknowledged 
head  of  all  the  semi-atheists  in  the  country.  Like  the  rest  of 
the  sect,  Moung  Long  is,  in  reality,  a  complete  skeptic,  scarce- 
ly believing  his  own  existence.  They  say  he  is  always  quar- 
relling with  his  wife  on  some  metaphysical  point.  For  in- 
stance, if  she  says,  *  The  rice  is  ready,'  he  will  reply,  '  Rice  ! 
what  is  rice  ?  Is  it  matter  or  spirit  ?  Is  it  an  idea,  or  is  it 
nonentity  ? '  Perhaps  she  will  say,  '  It  is  matter';  and  he  will 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  189 

reply,  'Well,  wife,  and  what  is  matter?  Are  you  sure  there 
is  such  a  thing  in  existence,  or  are  you  merely  subject  to  a 
delusion  of  the  senses  ?' 

"  When  he  first  came  in,  I  thought  him  an  ordinary  man. 
He  has  only  one  good  eye  ;  but  I  soon  discovered  that  that 
one  eye  has  as  '  great  a  quantity  of  being  '  as  half  a  dozen 
common  eyes.  In  his  manners  he  is  just  the  reverse  of 
Moung  Thah-ee — all  suavity,  and  humility,  and  respect.  He 
professed  to  be  an  inquirer  after  the  truth  ;  and  I  accordingly 
opened  to  him  some  parts  of  the  Gospel.  He  listened  with 
great  seriousness,  and  when  I  ceased  speaking,  remained  so 
thoughtful  and  apparently  impressed  with  the  truth,  that  I 
began  to  hope  he  would  come  to  some  good,  and  therefore 
invited  him  to  ask  some  question  relative  to  what  he  had 
heard.  '  Your  servant,'  said  he,  '  has  not  much  to  inquire  of 
your  lordship.  In  your  lordship's  sacred  speech,  however, 
there  are  one  or  two  words  that  your  servant  does  not  under- 
stand. Your  lordship  says,  that  in  the  beginning  God  created 
one  man  and  one  woman.  I  do  not  understand  (I  beg  your 
lordship's  pardon)  what  a  man  is,  and  why  he  is  called  a 
man.'  My  eyes  were  now  opened  in  an  instant  to  his  real 
character  ;  and  I  had  the  happiness  to  be  enabled,  for  about 
twenty  minutes,  to  lay  blow  after  blow  upon  his  skeptical 
head,  with  such  effect  that  he  kept  falling  and  falling  ;  and 
though  he  made  several  desperate  efforts  to  get  up,  he 
found  himself,  at  last,  prostrate  on  the  ground,  unable  to 
stir.  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  who  had  been  an  attentive  listen- 
er, was  extremely  delighted  to  see  his  enemy  so  well  punish- 
ed ;  for  this  Moung  Long  has  sorely  harassed  him  in  time 
past.  The  poor  man  was  not,  however,  in  the  least  angry  at 
his  discomfiture,  but,  in  the  true  spirit  of  his  school,  said  that, 
though  he  had  heard  much  of  me,  the  reality  far  exceeded 
the  report.  Afterward  he  joined  us  in  worship,  and  listened 
with  great  attention,  as  did  also  his  wife. 

'■'■May  21.  Moung  Thah-ee  came  again,  with  several 
others  ;  but  he  was  so  outrageous,  and  vulgar,  and  abusive, 
that  I  found  it  impossible  to  hold  any  rational  conversation 
with  him  ;  and  he  finally  went  away  in  a  great  passion,  say- 


IQO  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON/RAM  JUDSO.Y. 

ing  that  he  had  been  sent  by  some  men  in  authority  to  spy 
us  out,  and  that  by  to-morrow  he  would  bring  us  into  trouble. 
Such  threatenings  tend  to  sink  our  spirits,  and  make  us 
realize  our  truly  helpless,  destitute  condition,  as  sheep  in  the 
midst  of  wolves.     '  Lord,  behold  their  threatenings,'  etc. 

"June  4.  Moung  Long  spent  two  or  three  hours  with 
me,  in  which  I  endeavored  to  lay  before  him  all  the  evidences 
of  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion.  His  wife  proves'  to  be 
as  sharp  as  himself,  and  has  been  harassing  Mrs.  Judson 
with  all  sorts  of  questions  about  the  possibility  of  sin's  find- 
ing entrance  into  a  pure  mind,  or  of  its  being  permitted  under 
the  government  of  a  holy  sovereign. 

"  I  have  this  day  taken  Moung  Shwa-ba  into  the  service  of 
the  mission.  He  bids  fairer  than  any  other  member  of  the 
church  to  be  qualified,  in  due  time,  for  the  ministry.  For, 
though  inferior  to  Moung  Thah-lah  in  fluency  of  speech,  and 
to  Moung  Shwa-gnong  in  genius  and  address,  he  is  superior 
to  the  former  in  consistency  of  character  and  gravity  of  de- 
portment, and  to  the  latter  in  experimental  acquaintance 
with  divine  things  and  devotedness  to  the  cause.  But  the 
principal  trait  of  character  which  distinguishes  him  from  the 
rest,  and  affords  considerable  evidence  that  he  is  called  by 
higher  authority  than  that  of  man  to  the  Christian  ministry, 
is  his  humble  and  persevering  desire  for  that  office — a  desire 
which  sprang  up  in  his  heart  soon  after  his  conversion,  and 
has  been  growing  ever  since.  I  intend  to  employ  him,  at 
present,  as  an  assistant  in  the  zayat,  on  a  small  allowance  of 
seven  or  eight  rupees  a  month,  which  I  hope  the  Board  will 
approve  of.  In  that  situation  he  will  have  an  opportunity  of 
improving  in  those  qualifications  which  are  requisite  to  fit 
him  to  be  a  teacher  of  religion  among  his  fellow-country- 
men. 

^^Jiine  10.  Lord's  day.  Moung  Long  again  present — all  eye 
and  ear.  Mrs.  Judson  pronounces  his  wife  superior  in  point 
of  intellect  to  any  woman  she  has  ever  met  with  in  Burmah. 

"  After  evening  worship,  Mah  Myat-Iah  presented  her  peti- 
tion for  admission  into  the  church,  which  was  granted,  and 
nex:  Sunday  appointed  for  her  baptism.     The  evidences  of 


LIFE  IN  RAXGOO,\r 


[91 


her  piety  are  of  the  most  satisfactory  kind.  We  esteem  her 
quite  as  highly  as  her  sister,  Mali  Men-la,  though  she  is  far 
inferior  in  external  qualifications. 

'^'■Juiic  II.  Moung  Long  and  wife  spent  most  of  the  day 
with  us.  Their  minds  are  in  a  truly  hopeful  state,  though 
still  greatly  governed  by  the  maxims  of  the  Toung-dwen 
school.  Their  main  inquiry  to-day  was  how  they  could  ob- 
tain faith  in  Christ.  May  the  Holy  Spirit  solve  their  difficul- 
ties, by  giving  them  an  experimental  acquaintance  with  that 
saving  grace  ! 

'■^June  14.  An  intimate  friend  of  the  Woon-gyee-gah-dau 
told  Mrs.  Judson  to-day,  in  presence  of  her  highness,  who  by 
silence  assented  to  the  correctness  of  the  remark,  that  when 
the  emperor  and  others  in  Government  said  that  all  might 
believe  and  worship  as  they  please,  the  toleration  extended 
merely  to  foreigners  resident  in  the  empire,  and  by  no  means 
to  native  Burmans,  who,  being  slaves  of  the  emperor,  would 
not  be  allowed  with  impunity  to  renounce  the  religion  of  their 
master.  This  remark  accords  with  all  that  we  have  heard  at 
Ava,  and  may  be  depended  on  (notwithstanding  some  private 
encouragement  we  have  received  from  the  viceroy  and  his 
wife)  as  affording  a  correct  view  of  the  state  of  religious  tol- 
eration in  this  country.  It  is  a  fact  that,  except  in  our  own 
private  circle,  it  is  not  known  that  a  single  individual  has 
actually  renounced  Buddhism,  and  been  initiated  into  the 
Christian  religion. 

"  Mah  Myat-lah  informs  us  that  the  news  of  her  intended 
baptism  has  been  rumored  among  her  neighbors,  and  excited 
a  great  uproar.  She  is  not,  however,  disheartened,  but  rather 
wishes  that  her  baptism  may  not  be  deferred  till  Sunday,  lest 
some  measures  be  taken  to  prevent  it.  I  expect  that  she  will 
present  herself  for  baptism  to-morrow  evening,  but  am  obliged 
to  close  up  this  number,  as  the  vessel  by  which  it  is  conveyed 
is  just  going  down  the  river. 

"  Pray  for  us  and  our  little  church. 

"June  15.  According  to  the  purpose  mentioned  under  the 
last  date,  Mah  Myat-lah  received  baptism,  about  sunset,  at 
the  usual  place. 


192  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON 

^''July  3.  Moung  Thah-lah  was  married  to  a  woman  resi- 
dent in  our  yard,  a  usual  attendant  on  public  worship — the 
event  somewhat  noticeable,  as  being  probably  the  first  Chris- 
tian marriage  ever  performed  between  persons  of  pure  Bur- 
man  extraction. 

^^July  14.  In  the  interval  of  receiving  company,  I  have 
lately  been  employed  in  translating  ;  have  finished  the  Gos- 
pel and  Epistles  of  John,  those  exquisitely  sweet  and  precious 
portions  of  the  New  Testament,  and  am  now  employed  on 
the  latter  part  of  Acts.  I  find  Moung  Shwa-ba  a  most  valu- 
able assistant  in  all  parts  of  missionary  work.  Moung  Shwa- 
gnong  also  begins  *  to  be  dissatisfied  with  being  a  mere  dis- 
ciple, and  hopes  that  he  shall  some  time  be  thought  worthy 
of  being  a  teacher  of  the  Christian  religion.'  These  two, 
with  Mah  Men-la,  are,  at  present,  the  flower  of  our  little 
church.  I  have  no  reason,  however,  to  complain  of  the  con- 
duct of  any,  considering  the  great  disadvantages  under  which 
they  all  labor.  Some  have  grown  comparatively  cold,  but 
none  have  forgotten  their  first  love.     Praise  forever  be  to 

Him 

"  '  Who  is  faithful  to  His  promises, 
And  faithful  to  His  Son.' 

'■'■August  4.  Am  just  recovering  from  the  second  fit  of 
sickness  which  I  have  had  this  season.  The  second  day  after 
I  was  taken,  Mrs.  Judson  was  taken  ill ;  and  for  several  days 
we  lay  side  by  side,  unable  to  help  one  another.  Through 
divine  mercy,  however,  we  contrived  to  get  our  medicines 
from  time  to  time,  and  are  now  in  a  convalescent  state,  so 
far  as  the  fever  is  concerned.  Mrs.  Judson,  however,  is  suf- 
fering severely,  and  her  disease  is  making  such  rapid  and 
alarming  advances  as  to  preclude  all  hope  of  her  recovery  in 
this  part  of  the  world." 

It  now  became  Mr.  Judson's  painful  duty  to  send  his  wife 
to  America.  This  would  occasion  a  separation  of  at  least 
two  years,  but  unless  it  were  done  the  life  so  dear  to  him, 
and  of  such  incalculable  value  to  the  Burman  mission,  would 
soon  be  brought  to  a  close.     Mr.  Judson  writes: 


LIFE  IN  RANGOOX. 


193 


"  The  crisis  which  I  have  long  endeavored  to  avert  has  at 
length  arrived  ;  and  I  find  myself  under  the  most  distressing 
necessity  of  giving  my  consent  to  Mrs.  Judson's  departure 

for  America I  feel  that  there  is  no  alternative  ;  and  I 

acquiesce  in  the  measure,  however  painful  to  our  feelings, 
under  the  full  conviction  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  in 
order  to  avert  a  more  painful  separation,  which  might  other- 
wise be  realized  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  months — a  sepa- 
ration final,  and  precluding  all  further  hope  in  this  world. 

"  Whatever  money  Mrs.  Judson  may  need  in  America,  I 
beg  may  be  paid  to  her  order  on  the  Treasurer  ;  and  all  such 
money  I  shall  pass  to  the  credit  of  the  Board,  and  deduct 
from  my  usual  allowance I  have  made  such  arrange- 
ments as  will  prevent  the  necessity  of  burdening  the  Board 
with  any  additional  expense  on  this  occasion,  except  that  of 
passages  at  sea  ;  and  for  this  my  only  apology  must  be  the 
extreme  necessity  of  the  case. 

"  Finally,  I  beg  leave  to  recommend  Mrs.  Judson  to  the 
friends  and  patrons  of  the  mission,  as  one  who  has  faithfully 
labored  many  years  in  their  service,  and  whose  sole  object  in 
visiting  her  country  once  more  is  to  recover  her  health  and 
strength,  that  she  may  devote  the  remainder  of  her  days  to 
the  promotion  of  the  Redeemer's  cause  among  the  perishing 
Burmans." 

Mrs.  Judson  embarked  for  Calcutta,  on  her  way  to  Amer- 
ica, August  21,  1821.  Mr.  Judson  commends  her  to  the 
care  of  Mr.  Hough  in  these  humorous  and  pathetic  words  : 

"  I  send  you  herewith  Mrs.  Judson,  and  all  that  remains  of 
the  blue  pill  and  senna,  and  beg  you  will  see  the  articles  all 
well  packed  and  shipped  for  America  by  the  earliest  safe  op- 
portunity. Whatever  expenses  may  be  incurred  be  so  good 
as  to  defray  from  your  own  funds,  and  transmit  your  bill  to 
me. 

"  It  is  said  that  man  is  prone  to  jest  in  the  depth  of  misery  ; 

and  the  bon-mots  of  the  scaffold  have  been  collected  ;  you 

may  add  the  above  specimen  to  the  list  if  you  like.     I  feel  as 

if  I  was  on  the  scaffold,  and  signing,  as  it  were,  my  own 

13 


194  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

death  warrant.  However,  two  years  will  pass  away  at  last. 
Time  and  tide  wait  for  no  man,  heedless  alike  of  our  joys 
and  sorrows. 

"  When  I  last  wrote,  I  was  in  the  latter  part  of  Acts  ;  since 
that  time,  I  have  done  nothing  at  all.  For  ten  days  or  a 
fortnight  we  were  laid  by  with  fever,  unable  to  help  one 
another  ;  and  since  we  became  convalescent,  I  have  been  oc- 
cupied in  making  up  my  mind  to  have  my  right  arm  ampu- 
tated, and  my  right  eye  extracted,  which  the  doctors  say  are 
necessary  in  order  to  prevent  a  decay  and  mortification  of 
the  whole  body  conjugal." 

His  letters  written  to  his  wife  during  her  absence  betray 
here  and  there  a  sinking  even  of  his  buoyant  spirits  : 

'■''September  ^,  1821.  I  hope  you  enjoy  more  religion  than 
I  do.  This  heavy  affliction  does  not  have  that  salutary  effect 
on  my  heart  which  I  anticipated.  Mercies  and  judgments 
seem  to  be  thrown  away  on  me,  and  I  am  afraid  that  I  shall 
never  make  much  advance  in  the  divine  life.  I  had  such  a 
view  and  sense  of  my  depravity  this  morning  as  made  me 
ready  to  give  up  all  for  lost — not,  I  mean,  as  it  regards  my 
interest  in  Christ — there  I  feel  strong — but  as  it  regards  any 
attainments  in  holiness,  while  remaining  in  this  state  of  sin. 

"  Oh  !  how  consoling  it  is  to  give  up  myself,  and  you,  and 
the  interests  of  the  mission,  into  the  faithful  hands  of  Jesus, 
and  to  look  forward  to  that  blessed  state,  where  we  are  sure 
of  meeting,  though  we  should  meet  no  more  on  earth.  The 
Lord  reigns,  and  I  feel,  at  times,  that  I  can  safely  trust  all 
in  His  hands,  and  rejoice  in  whatever  may  betide.  If  we 
suffer  with  Christ  we  shall  also  be  glorified  with  Him. 

^'September  12.  Company  continued  with  me  until  after 
three  o'clock  ;  and  then  I  found  myself  alone,  and,  for  a  few 
hours,  was  very  desolate  and  unhappy. 

"  But  about  sunset,  the  time  mentioned  in  your  last  letter 
for  mutual  prayer,  I  felt  more  comfortable." 

"  I  wish  I  could  always  feel  as  I  did  last  evening,  and  have 
this  morning.  At  first,  on  hearing  Moung  Shwa-gnong's 
story,  I  felt  much  disheartened,  and  thought  how  pleasant  it 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


195 


would  be  if  we  could  find  some  quiet  restin.;--place  on  earth, 
where  we  might  spend  the  rest  of  our  days  together  in  peace, 
and  perform  the  ordinary  services  of  religion.  But  I  fled  to 
Jesus,  and  all  such  thoughts  soon  passed  away.  Life  is 
short.  Happiness  consists  not  in  outward  circumstances. 
Millions  of  Burmans  are  perishing.  I  am  almost  the  only 
person  on  earth  who  has  attained  their  language  to  such  a 
degree  as  to  be  able  to  communicate  the  way  of  salvation. 
How  great  are  my  obligations  to  spend  and  be  spent  for 
Christ !  What  a  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  serve  Him  in 
such  interesting  circumstances,  and  to  suffer  for  Him  !  The 
heavenly  glory  is  at  hand.  O,  let  me  travel  through  this 
country,  and  bear  testimony  to  the  truth  all  the  way  from 
Rangoon  to  Ava,  and  show  the  path  to  that  glory  which  I 
am  anticipating.  O,  if  Christ  will  only  sanctify  me  and 
strengthen  me,  I  feel  that  I  can  do  all  things.  But  in  myself 
I  am  absolute  nothingness  ;  and  when  through  grace  I  get  a 
glimpse  of  divine  things,  I  tremble  lest  the  next  moment  will 
snatch  it  quite  away. 

"  Let  us  pray  especially  for  one  another's  growth  in  grace. 
Let  me  pray  that  the  trials  which  we  respectively  are  called 
to  endure  may  wean  us  from  the  world,  and  rivet  our  hearts 
on  things  above.  Soon  we  shall  be  in  heaven.  O,  let  us  live 
as  we  shall  then  wish  we  had  done.  Let  us  be  humble,  un- 
aspiring, indifferent  equally  to  worldly  comfort  and  the  ap- 
plause of  men,  absorbed  in  Christ,  the  uncreated  Fountain 
of  all  excellence  and  glory." 

Even  while  on  the  journey  to  her  dear  native  land,  Mrs. 
Judson  cast  "  a  longing,  lingering  look  behind."  It  was  hard 
to  leave  Rangoon,  even  to  go  to  America.  In  a  letter  to 
Dr.  Baldwin,  dated  Calcutta,  December  8,  1S21,  she  writes: 

"I  left  Rangoon  last  August,  and  arrived  in  Calcutta  on 
the  twenty-second  of  September.  My  disorder  gained  ground 
so  rapidly,  that  nothing  but  a  voyage  at  sea,  and  the  benefit 
of  a  cold  climate,  presented  the  least  hope  of  life.  You  will 
readily  imagine  that  nothing  but  the  prospect  of  a  final 
separation  would  have  induced  us  to  decide  on  this  measure, 


196  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

under  circumstances  so  trying  as  those  in  which  we  were 
placed.  But  duty  to  God,  to  ourselves,  to  the  Board  of  Mis- 
sions, and  to  the  perishing  Burmans,  compelled  us  to  adopt 
this  course  of  procedure,  though  agonizing  to  all  the  natural 
feelings  of  our  hearts.  On  my  arrival  in  Calcutta,  inquiries 
were  immediately  made  relative  to  a  voyage  to  America. 
But,  to  my  great  disappointment,  I  found  most  of  the  Amer- 
ican captains  far  from  being  disposed  to  take  passengers,  on 
account  of  having  their  cargoes  engaged  to  the  extent  of  the 
tonnage  of  their  vessels.  One  captain,  however,  offered  to 
give  me  a  passage  for  fifteen  hundred  rupees,  but  I  could  not 
think  of  causing  the  Board  so  great  an  expense.  In  mention- 
ing my  circumstances  to  Mrs.  Thomason,  (lady  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Thomason,  chaplain,)  she  suggested  the  advantages  of  a 
voyage  to  England,  on  account  of  the  superior  accommoda- 
tions, medical  advice,  and  female  passengers  in  English  ships. 
The  pious  captain  of  a  ship  bound  to  England  was  then 
residing  in  her  family  ;  with  him  she  consulted,  and  they 
made  arrangements  for  my  passage  for  five  hundred  rupees, 
provided  I  went  in  a  cabin  with  three  children,  who  were 
going  to  England.  As  my  only  object  in  going  to  sea  is 
restoration  of  health,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  secure  a  passage, 
though  I  should  have  rejoiced  (since  I  must  take  a  long  voy- 
age) to  have  gone  direct  to  America.  The  father  of  the 
children  has  since  arrived  in  Calcutta,  and  has  very  kindly 
offered  to  pay  the  whole  price  of  the  cabin  (which  is  four  thou- 
sand rupees),  which  will  enable  me  to  go  to  England,  free  of 
expense  to  the  Board.  If  the  pain  in  my  side  is  entirely  re- 
moved while  on  my  passage  to  Europe,  I  shall  return  to 
India  in  the  same  ship,  and  proceed  immediately  to  Rarigoon. 
But  if  not,  I  shall  go  over  to  America,  and  spend  one  winter 
in  my  dear  native  country.  As  ardently  as  I  long  to  see  my 
beloved  friends  in  America,  I  can  not  prevail  on  myself  to  be 
any  longer  from  Rangoon  than  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  preservation  of  my  life.  I  have  had  a  severe  struggle 
relative  to  my  immediate  return  to  Rangoon,  instead  of  going 
to  England.  But  I  did  not  venture  to  go  contrary  to  the 
convictions   of   reason,   to   the   opinion   of   an   eminent  and 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  197 

skilful    physician,    and    the    repeated    injunctions    of    Mr. 
Judson." 

Mrs.  Judson  was  heartily  welcomed  by  the  Christians  of 
England,  and  was  entertained  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Butter- 
worth,  a  member  of  Parliament,  who,  afterward  referring 
to  her  in  a  public  address,  said  that  her  visit  at  his  house 
reminded  him  of  the  words  of  Scripture :  "  Be  not  forgetful 
to  entertain  strangers,  for  thereby  some  have  entertained 
angels  unawares." 

She  arrived  in  America  Sept.  25,  1822,  and  remained  un- 
til the  22d  of  June,  1823.  Her  visit  in  this  countrj^  awak- 
ened great  missionary  enthusiasm,  and  on  her  return  she 
was  accompanied  by  the  two  newly-appointed  missionaries, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade.  She  reached  Rangoon  on  the  5th  of 
December,  1823,  after  an  absence  of  about  two  years  and 
three  months. 

She  is  thus  described  by  Dr.  Wayland,  who  formed  a  per- 
sonal acquaintance  with  her  during  her  visit  in  the  United 
States : 

"  I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have  met  a  more  remarkable  woman.  To 
great  clearness  of  intellect,  large  powers  of  comprehension,  and  intuitive 
female  sagacity,  ripened  by  the  constant  necessity  of  independent  action, 
she  added  that  heroic  disinterestedness  which  naturally  loses  all  con- 
sciousness of  self  in  the  prosecution  of  a  great  object.  These  elements, 
however,  were  all  held  in  reserve  and  were  hidden  from  public  view  by 
a  veil  of  unusual  feminine  delicacy.  To  an  ordinary  observer,  she  would 
have  appeared  simply  a  self-possessed,  well-bred,  and  very  intelligent 
gentlewoman.  A  more  intimate  acquaintance  would  soon  discover  her 
to  be  a  person  of  profound  religious  feeling,  which  was  ever  manifesting 
itself  in  efforts  to  impress  upon  others  the  importance  of  personal  piety. 
The  resources  of  her  nature  were  never  unfolded  until  some  occasion 
occurred  which  demanded  delicate  tact,  unflinchmg  courage,  and  a  power 
of  resolute  endurance  even  unto  death.  When  I  saw  her,  her  complexion 
bore  that  sallow  hue  which  commonly  follows  residence  in  the  East 
Indies.  Her  countenance  at  first  seemed,  when  in  repose,  deficient  in 
expression.  As  she  found  herself  among  friends  who  were  interested  in 
the  Burman  mission,  her  reserve  melted  away,  her  eye  kindled,  every 


198  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

feature  was   lighted  up  with  enthusiasm,  and  she  was  everywhere  ac- 
knowledged to  be  one  of  the  most  fascinating  of  women." 

After  Mrs.  Judson's  departure,  Mr.  Judson  was  left  alone 
in  Rangoon  for  nearly  four  months,  and  continued  his  la- 
bors in  complete  solitude.  On  December  13,  1821,  the 
Rev.  Jonathan  Price,  M.D.,  a  medical  missionary,  arrived 
with  his  family,  and  joined  the  mission.  About  a  month 
later  Mr.  Hough  and  his  family  returned  from  Calcutta. 
On  the  2d  of  May,  1822,  Mrs.  Price  died,  after  having  been 
in  the  country  only  five  months,  and  was  buried  by  the  side 
of  Mr.  Judson's  little  Roger.  Dr.  Price's  medical  skill, 
especially  shown  in  performing  operations  for  cataracts, 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Burman  emperor  at  Ava.  He 
was  summoned  to  appear  at  the  royal  court,  and  Mr.  Jud- 
son thought  it  best  to  accompany  him,  hoping  that  now  the 
king's  favor  might  be  secured  in  behalf  of  the  new  religion, 
and  that  he  might  even  be  permitted  to  plant  a  mission  in 
the  capital  city.  So  on  August  28,  1822,  Mr.  Judson  set 
out  on  his  second  journey  to  Ava,  this  time  in  the  company 
of  Dr.  Price,  and  at  the  expense  of  the  Government.  In  the 
meantime,  the  number  of  the  native  church  membership  in 
Rangoon  had  grown  from  ten  to  eighteen.  His  visit  to 
Ava,  and  return  to  Rangoon,  are  thus  described  in  his 
journal  : 

"After  much  tedious  detention,  resulting  from  our  con- 
nection with  Government,  we  reached  Ava  on  the  27th  of 
September.  We  were  immediately  introduced  to  the  king, 
who  received  brother  Price  very  graciously,  and  made  many 
inquiries  about  his  medical  skill,  but  took  no  notice  of  me, 
except  as  interpreter.  The  a-twen-woon  Moung  Zah,  how- 
ever, immediately  recognized  me,  made  a  few  inquiries  about 
my  welfare,  in  presence  of  the  king,  and,  after  his  majesty 
had  withdrawn,  conversed  a  little  on  religious  subjects,  and 
gave  me  some  private  encouragement  to  remain  at  the 
capital. 

"  October  x.     To-day  the  king  noticed  me  for  the  tirst  time 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


99 


though  I  have  appeared  before  him  nearly  ever3^  day  since 
our  arrival.  After  making  some  inquiries,  as  usual,  about 
brother  Price,  he  added,  '  And  you  in  black,  what  are  you  ? 
A  medical  man,  too?'  'Not  a  medical  man,  but  a  teacher 
of  religion,  your  majesty.'  He  proceeded  to  make  a  few 
inquiries  about  my  religion,  and  then  put  the  alarming  ques- 
tion whether  any  had  embraced  it.  I  evaded,  by  saying, 
'Not  here.'  He  persisted.  'Are  there  any  in  Rangoon?' 
'There  are  a  few.'  'Are  they  foreigners  ? '  I  trembled  for 
the  consequences  of  an  answer,  which  might  involve  the  little 
church  in  ruin  ;  but  the  truth  must  be  sacrificed,  or  the  con- 
sequences hazarded,  and  I  therefore  replied,  'There  are  some 
foreigners  and  some  Burmans.'  He  remained  silent  a  few 
moments,  but  presently  showed  that  he  was  not  displeased, 
by  asking  a  great  variety  of  questions  on  religion,  and 
geography,  and  astronomy,  some  of  which  were  answered  in 
such  a  satisfactory  manner  as  to  occasion  a  general  expres- 
sion of  approbation  in  all  the  court  present.  After  his  maj- 
esty retired,  a  than-dau-sen  (a  royal  secretary)  entered  into 
conversation,  and  allowed  me  to  expatiate  on  several  topics 
of  the  Christian  religion,  in  my  usual  way.  And  all  this 
took  place  in  the  hearing  of  the  very  man,  now  an  a-twen- 
woon,  who,  many  years  ago,  caused  his  uncle  to  be  tortured 
almost  to  death  under  the  iron  mall  for  renouncing  Bud- 
dhism and  embracing  the  Roman  Catholic  religion;  but  I 
knew  it  not  at  the  time,  though,  from  his  age,  a  slight  sus- 
picion of  the  truth  passed  across  my  mind.  Thanks  to  God 
for  the  encouragement  of  this  day  !  The  monarch  of  the 
empire  has  distinctly  understood  that  some  of  his  subjects 
have  embraced  the  Christian  religion,  and  his  wrath  has 
been  restrained.  Let  us  then  hope  that,  as  he  becomes 
more  acquainted  with  the  excellence  of  the  religion,  he  will 
be  more  and  more  willing  that  his  subjects  should  em- 
brace it. 

"  October  3.  Left  the  boat,  and  moved  into  the  house 
ordered  to  be  erected  for  us  by  the  king.  A  mere  tempo- 
rary shed,  however,  it  proves  to  be,  scarcely  sufficient  to 
screen  us  from  the  gaze  of  people  without  or  from   the  rain 


200  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

above.  It  is  situated  near  the  present  palace,  and  joins  the 
enclosure  of  Prince  M.,  eldest  half  brother  of  the  king. 

"  October  4.  On  our  return  from  the  palace,  whither  we  go 
every  morning  after  breakfast,  Prince  M.  sent  for  me.  I 
had  seen  him  once  before,  in  company  with  brother  Price, 
whom  he  called  for  medical  advice.  To-day  he  wished  to 
converse  on  science  and  religion.  He  is  a  fine  young  man 
of  twenty-eight,  but  greatly  disfigured  by  a  paralytic  affec- 
tion of  the  arms  and  legs.  Being  cut  off  from  the  usual 
sources  of  amusement,  and  having  associated  a  little  with 
the  Portuguese  padres  who  have  lived  at  Ava,  he  has  ac- 
quired a  strong  taste  for  foreign  science.  My  communica- 
tions interested  him  very  much,  and  I  found  it  difficult  to 
get  away. 

"  October  21.  Visited  the  a-twen-woon  Moung  Zah,  and  had 
a  long  conversation  on  the  religion  and  customs  of  foreigners, 
in  which  I  endeavored  to  communicate  as  much  as  possible 
of  the  Gospel.  Upon  the  whole,  he  appeared  to  be  rather 
favorably  disposed,  and,  on  my  taking  leave,  invited  me 
respectfully  to  visit  him  occasionally.  Thence  I  proceeded 
to  the  palace,  but  met  with  nothing  noticeable,  and  thence 
to  the  house  of  Prince  M.,  with  whom  I  had  an  hour's  unin- 
terrupted conversation.  But  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  he  is 
rather  amused  with  the  information  I  give  him,  than  dis- 
posed to  consider  it  a  matter  of  personal  concern.  I  pre- 
sented him  with  a  tract,  which  he  received  as  a  favor  ;  and 
finally  I  ventured  to  ask  him  whether  Burman  subjects  Avho 
should  consider  and  embrace  the  Christian  religion  would 
be  liable  to  persecution.  He  replied,  '  Not  under  the  reign 
of  my  brother.  He  has  a  good  heart,  and  wishes  all  to  be- 
lieve and  worship  as  they  please.' 

"  October  23.  Had  some  pleasant  conversation  with  Moung 
Zah  in  the  palace,  partly  in  the  hearing  of  the  king.  At 
length  his  majesty  came  forward,  and  honored  me  with  some 
personal  notice  for  the  second  time,  inquired  much  about 
my  country,  and  authorized  me  to  invite  American  ships  to 
his  dominions,  assuring  them  of  protection,  and  offering 
every  facility  for  the  purposes  of  trade. 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  20 1 

"  October  24.  Visited  Moung  Zah  at  his  house.  He  treated 
me  with  great  reserve,  and  repelled  all  attempts  at  conversa- 
tion. Afterward  called  on  Prince  M.,  and  spent  a  long  time 
with  him  and  the  officers  in  waiting.  The  whole  tract  was 
read  before  them  by  one  of  the  secretaries.  In  the  after- 
noon, went  out  of  town  to  visit  Moung  Shwa-thah,  former 
viceroy  of  Rangoon.  During  our  absence,  Prince  M.  sent  to 
our  house  to  call  me,  saying  that  a  learned  pundit  was  in 
attendance  with  whom  he  wished  to  hear  me  converse. 

"  October  26.  While  I  lay  ill  some  days  ago,  a  young  man, 
brother  of  an  officer  of  Prince  M.,  visited  me,  and  listened 
to  a  considerable  exposition  of  Gospel  truth.  Since  then  he 
has  occasionally  called,  and  manifested  a  desire  to  hear  and 
know  more.  This  evening  he  came  to  attend  our  evening  wor- 
ship, and  remained  conversing  till  nine  o'clock.  I  hope  that 
light  is  dawning  on  his  mind.  He  desires  to  know  the  truth, 
appears  to  be,  in  some  degree,  sensible  of  his  sins,  and  has 
some  slight  apprehension  of  the  love  and  grace  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

"  October  28.  Spent  the  forenoon  with  Prince  M.  He  ob- 
tained, for  the  first  time  (though  I  have  explained  it  to  him 
many  times),  some  view  of  the  nature  of  the  atonement,  and 
cried  out,  *  Good,  good  ! '  He  then  proposed  a  number  of 
objections,  which  I  removed  to  his  apparent  satisfaction. 
Our  subsequent  conversation  turned,  as  usual,  on  points  of 
geography  and  astronomy.  He  candidly  acknowledged  that 
he  could  not  resist  my  arguments  in  favor  of  the  Copernican 
system,  and  that,  if  he  admitted  them,  he  must  also  admit 
that  the  Buddhist  system  was  overthrown.  In  the  afternoon, 
visited  Prince  T.     A  hopeless  case. 

"  October  29.  Made  an  introductory  visit  to  the  Great 
Prince,  so  called  by  way  of  eminence,  being  the  only  brother 
of  the  queen,  and  sustaining  the  rank  of  chief  a-twen-woon. 
Have  frequently  met  him  at  the  palace,  where  he  has  treated 
me  rather  uncourteously  ;  and  my  reception  to-day  was  such 
as  I  had  too  much  reason  to  expect. 

"  October  30.  Spent  part  of  the  forenoon  with  Prince  M. 
and   his  wife,   the  Princess  of   S.,   own  sister  of   the  king. 


202  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Gave  her  a  copy  of  Mrs.  Judson's  Burman  catechism,  with 
which  she  was  much  pleased.  They  both  appear  to  be  some- 
what attached  to  me,  and  say,  *  Do  not  return  to  Rangoon, 
but,  when  your  wife  arrives,  call  her  to  Ava  ;  the  king  will 
give  you  a  piece  of  ground  on  which  to  build  a  kyoung '  (a 
house  appropriated  to  the  residence  of  sacred  characters). 
In  the  evening,  they  sent  for  me  again,  chiefly  on  account  of 
an  officer  of  Government,  to  whom  they  wished  to  intro- 
duce me. 

'■''October  31.  Visited  the  a-twen-woon  Moung  K.,  whom 
I  have  frequently  met  at  the  palace,  who  has  treated  me 
with  distinguished  candor.  He  received  me  very  politely, 
and,  laying  aside  his  official  dignity,  entered  into  a  most 
spirited  dispute  on  various  points  of  religion.  He  pretended 
to  maintain  his  ground  without  the  shadow  of  doubt ;  but  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  hS  has  serious  doubts.  We  parted 
in  a  very  friendly  manner,  and  he  invited  me  to  visit  him 
occasionally. 

'■''November  12.  Spent  the  whole  forenoon  with  Prince 
M.  and  his  wife.  Made  a  fuller  disclosure  than  ever  before 
of  the  nature  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  object  of  Chris- 
tians in  sending  me  to  this  country,  my  former  repulse  at 
court  and  the  reason  of  it,  our  exposure  to  persecution  in 
Rangoon,  the  affair  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  etc.,  etc.  They 
entered  into  my  views  and  feelings  with  considerable  inter- 
est ;  but  both  said,  decidedly,  that,  though  the  king  would 
not  himself  persecute  any  one  on  account  of  religion,  he 
would  not  give  any  order  exempting  from  persecution,  but 
would  leave  his  subjects,  throughout  the  empire,  to  the  regu- 
lar administration  of  the  local  authorities. 

"  After  giving  the  prince  a  succinct  account  of  my  religious 
experience,  I  ventured  to  warn  him  of  his  danger,  and  urged 
him  to  make  the  Christian  religion  his  immediate  personal 
concern.  He  appeared,  for  a  moment,  to  feel  the  force  of 
what  I  said,  but  soon  replied,  '  I  am  yet  young — only  twenty- 
eight.  I  am  desirous  of  studying  all  the  foreign  arts  and 
sciences.  My  mind  will  then  be  enlarged,  and  I  shall  be 
capable  of  judging  whether  the  Christian  religion  be  true  01 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


203 


not.'  '  But  suppose  your  highness  changes  worlds  in  the 
meantime?'  His  countenance  again  fell.  'It  is  true,' said 
he,  'I  know  not  when  I  shall  die.'  I  suggested  that  it  would 
be  well  to  pray  to  God  for  light,  which,  if  obtained,  would 
enable  him  at  once  to  distinguish  between  truth  and  false- 
hood ;  and  so  we  parted.  O  Fountain  of  Light,  shed  down 
one  ray  into  the  mind  of  this  amiable  prince,  that  he  may  be- 
come a  patron  of  Thine  infant  cause,  and  inherit  an  eternal 
crown. 

'■''November  14.  Another  interview  with  Prince  M.  He 
seemed,  at  one  time,  almost  ready  to  give  up  the  religion  of 
Gaudama,  and  listened  with  much  eagerness  and  pleasure  to 
the  evidences  of  the  Christian  religion.  But  presently  two 
Burman  teachers  came  in,  with  whom  he  immediately  joined, 
and  contradicted  all  I  said, 

^'November  18.  Visited  the  Princess  of  T.,  at  her  particu- 
lar request.  She  is  the  eldest  own  sister  of  the  king,  and 
therefore,  according  to  Burman  laws,  consigned  to  perpetual 
celibacy.  She  had  heard  of  me  from  her  brother-in-law, 
Prince  M.,  and  wished  to  converse  on  science  and  religion. 
Her  chief  officer  and  the  mayor  of  the  city  were  present  ; 
and  we  carried  on  a  desultory  conversation,  such  as  necessa- 
rily takes  place  on  the  first  interview.  Her  highness  treated 
me  with  uncommon  affability  and  respect,  and  invited  me  to 
call  frequently. 

"November  26.  Have  been  confined  since  the  21st  with  a 
third  attack  of  the  fever  and  ague.  To-day  went  to  the 
palace,  and  presented  a  petition  for  a  certain  piece  of  ground 
within  the  walls  of  the  town,  '  to  build  a  kyoung  on.'  The 
king  granted  it,  on  condition  that  the  ground  should  be 
found  unoccupied. 

"November  28.  Spent  the  whole  day  at  the  palace,  in 
endeavoring  to  secure  the  ground  petitioned  for.  At  night, 
the  land-measurer-general's  secretary  accompanied  me  to 
ascertain  the  premises,  and  make  out  a  plan  of  the  place. 

'■'November  29.  The  land-measurer-general  reported  to  the 
a-twen-woons  that  the  ground  was  not  actually  occupied, 
but,  having  been  the    site  of   a  kyoung  when  formerly  the 


204  "-^^^  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

City  was  the  seat  of  Government,  must  be  considered  sacred 
and  inalienable  ;  in  which  opinion  nearly  all  the  a-twen- 
woons  coincided,  notwithstanding  the  king's  decision  to  the 
contrary. 

"  Had  an  interesting  interview  with  Prince  M.,  and  pre- 
sented him  with  a  copy  of  the  last  three  chapters  of  Matthew, 
in  compliance  with  his  wish  to  have  an  account  of  the  death 
and  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  appeared  concerned 
for  our  failure  to-day  in  the  privy  council,  but  still  main- 
tained that,  though  the  ground  was  sacred,  it  might  with 
propriety  be  given  to  a  priest,  though  not  a  priest  of  Gau- 
dama,  and  advised  me  to  make  another  application  to  the 
king. 

^^ December  25.  I  have  had  nothing  scarcely  of  a  mission- 
ary nature  to  notice  since  the  last  date,  having  been  em- 
ployed, most  of  the  time  (that  is,  in  the  intervals  of  two 
more  attacks  of  fever  and  ague),  in  endeavoring  to  procure 
a  piece  of  ground  within  the  city,  but  have  been  defeated  at 
every  point. 

"  In  prosecuting  this  business,  I  had  one  noticeable  in- 
terview with  the  king.  Brother  Price  and  two  English 
gentlemen  were  present.  The  king  appeared  to  be  attracted 
by  our  number,  and  came  toward  us  ;  but  his  conversation 
was  directed  chiefly  to  me.  He  again  inquired  about  the 
Burmans  who  had  embraced  my  religion.  'Are  they  real 
Burmans  ?  Do  they  dress  like  other  Burmans  ? '  etc.  I  had 
occasion  to  remark  that  I  preached  every  Sunday.  '  What  ! 
in  Burman?'  'Yes.'  'Let  us  hear  how  you  preach.'  I  hesi- 
tated. An  a-twen-woon  repeated  the  order.  I  began  with 
a  form  of  worship  which  first  ascribes  glory  to  God,  and 
then  declares  the  commands  of  the  law  of  the  Gospel  ;  after 
which  I  stopped.  'Go  on,'  said  another  a^twen-woon.  The 
whole  court  was  profoundly  silent.  I  proceeded  with  a  few- 
sentences,  declarative  of  the  perfections  of  God,  when  his 
majesty's  curiosity  was  satisfied,  and  he  interrupted  me.  In 
the  course  of  subsequent  conversation,  he  asked  what  I  had 
to  say  of  Gaudama.  I  replied,  that  we  all  knew  he  was  the 
son  of  King  Thog-dan-dah-nah  ;  that  we  regarded  him  as  a 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


2C5 


wise  man  and  a  great  teacher,  but  did  not  call  him  God. 
'  That  is  right,'  said  Moung  K.  N.,  an  a-twen-\voon  who  has 
not  hitherto  appeared  very  friendly  to  me.  And  he  pro- 
ceeded to  relate  the  substance  of  a  long  communication 
which  I  lately  made  to  him,  in  the  privy  council  room,  about 
God  and  Christ,  etc.  And  this  he  did  in  a  very  clear  and 
satisfactory  manner,  so  that  I  had  scarcely  a  single  correction 
to  make  in  his  statement.  Moung  Zah,  encouraged  by  all 
this,  really  began  to  take  the  side  of  God  before  his  majesty, 
and  said,  *  Nearly  all  the  world,  your  majesty,  believe  in  an 
eternal  God,  all,  except  Burmah  and  Siam,  these  little  spots  ! ' 
His  majesty  remained  silent,  and  after  some  other  desultory 
inquiries,  he  abruptly  arose,  and  retired. 

'■^January  2,  1823.  To-day  I  informed  the  king  that  it  was 
my  intention  to  return  to  Rangoon.  '  Will  you  proceed 
thence  to  your  own  country?'  'Only  to  Rangoon.'  His 
majesty  gave  an  acquiescing  nod.  The  a-twen-woon  Moung 
Zah  inquired,  '  Will  you  both  go,  or  will  the  doctor  remain .'' 
I  said  that  he  would  remain.  .  Brother  Price  made  some  re- 
mark on  the  approaching  hot  season,  and  the  inconvenience 
of  our  present  situation  ;  on  which  Moung  Zah,  inferring 
that  it  was  on  account  of  the  climate  that  I  was  about  leav- 
ing, turned  to  me,  saying,  'Then  you  will  return  here,  after 
the  hot  season.'  I  looked  at  the  king,  and  said  that  if  it  was 
convenient,  I  would  return  ;  which  his  majesty  again  sanc- 
tioned by  an  acquiescing  nod  and  smile,  and  in  reply  to 
brother  Price,  said,  *  Let  a  place  be  given  him.'  Brother 
Price,  however,  thinks  of  retaining  the  small  place  on  whicli 
we  now  live  for  medical  purposes,  and  getting  a  place  at 
Chagaing,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  for  his  permanent 
residence. 

"  In  the  evening  had  a  long  conversation  with  Moung  Zah 
on  religion.  He  believes  that  there  is  an  eternal  God,  and 
that  Gaudama,  and  Christ,  and  Mahomet,  and  others  are 
great  teachers,  who  communicated  as  much  truth  respective- 
ly as  they  could,  but  that  their  communications  are  not  the 
word  of  God.  I  pressed  my  arguments  as  far  as  I  dared  ; 
but  he  seemed  to  have  reflected  much  on  the  subject,  and  to 


2o6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

have  become  quite  settled  and  inflexible  in  his  conclusions. 
He  may  be  called  a  deistic  Buddhist,  the  first  that  I  have 
met  in  the  country.  On  parting,  however,  he  remarked, 
'This  is  a  deep  and  difficult  subject.  Do  you,  teacher,  con- 
sider further,  and  I  also  will  consider.' 

'^^ January  7.  Among  the  many  places  which  I  endeavored 
in  vain  to  procure  was  a  small  one,  sufficient  for  one  family 
only,  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  just  with- 
out the  walls  of  the  town,  and  about  a  mile  from  the  palace. 
But  it  had  been  appropriated  by  the  chief  woon-gyee,  and 
partly  fenced  in,  with  the  intention  of  building  a  temporary 
zayat  for  his  recreation  and  refreshment,  when  accompany- 
ing the  king  in  that  quarter  of  the  city,  and  was,  therefore, 
placed  beyond  any  reasonable  hope  of  attainment.  Among 
other  de'sperate  attempts,  however,  I  wrote  a  short  petition, 
asking  for  that  place,  and  begging  leave  to  express  my  grat- 
itude, by  presenting  a  certain  sum  of  money.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  put  this  into  his  own  hand  ;  and  I  was,  therefore, 
obliged  to  follow  him  about,  and  watch  his  movements,  for 
two  or  three  days,  until  a  favorable  opportunity  occurred, 
when  he  was  apart  from  all  his  retinue.  I  seized  the  mo- 
ment, presented  myself  before  him,  and  held  up  the  paper. 
He  read  it,  and  smiled.  'You  are  indefatigable  in  your  search 
after  a  place.  But  you  can  not  have  that.  It  is  for  my  own 
use.  Nor,  if  otherwise,  could  you  get  it  for  money.  Search 
further.'  I  now  concluded  to  return  to  Rangoon  for  the 
present,  and  wait  until  the  town  should  be  settled,  v/hen,  as 
all  inform  me,  I  shall  be  able  to  accommodate  myself  better. 
I  accordingly  informed  the  king  of  my  purpose,  as  mentioned 
above,  and  began  to  look  about  for  a  boat.  In  the  mean- 
time, it  occurred  to  me  to  make  a  '  seventh  attempt  to  fix  the 
thread,'  and  I  sought  another  interview  with  the  chief  woon- 
gyee,  a  being  who  is  really  more  difficult  of  access  than  the 
king  himself.  This  evening  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  him 
at  his  house,  lying  down,  surrounded  by  forty  or  fifty  of  his 
people.  I  pressed  forward  into  the  foremost  rank,  and 
placed  myself  in  a  proper  attitude.  After  a  while,  his  eye 
fell  upon  me,  and  I  held  up  a  small  bottle  of  eau  de  luce,  and 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON.  207 

desired  to  present  it.  One  of  his  officers  carried  it  to  him. 
He  happened  to  be  much  pleased  with  it,  and  sat  upright. 
*  What  kind  of  a  house  do  you  intend  to  build  ? '  I  told  him. 
but  added,  '  I  have  no  place  to  build  on,  my  lord.'  He  re- 
mained in  a  meditating  attitude  a  few  moments,  and  then 
suddenly  replied,  ^ If  you  watit  the  little  enclosure,  take  it/'  I 
expressed  my  gratitude.  He  began  to  take  more  notice  of 
me,  inquired  about  my  character  and  profession,  and  then 
entered,  with  considerable  spirit,  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
After  some  conversation,  he  desired  a  specimen  of  my  mode 
of  worship  and  preaching  ;  and  I  was  obliged  to  repeat  much 
more  than  I  did  before  the  king  ;  for  whenever  I  desisted,  he 
ordered  me  to  go  on.  When  his  curiosity  was  satisfied,  he 
lay  down,  and  I  quietly  retired. 

^^ January  8.  After  taking  the  best  advice,  Burman  and 
foreign,  I  weighed  out  the  sum  of  money  mentioned  in  the 
private  petition,  together  with  the  estimated  expense  of 
fencing  the  place  given  me  by  the  woon-gyee,  and  in  the 
evening  carried  it  to  his  house,  where  I  was  again  fortunate 
in  finding  him  in  the  same  position  as  yesterday  evening.  A 
few  noblemen  and  their  attendants  were  present,  which  pre- 
vented me  from  immediately  producing  the  money.  His 
excellency  soon  took  notice  of  me,  and  from  seven  o'clock 
till  nine,  the  time  was  chiefly  occupied  in  conversation  on 
religious  subjects.  I  found  opportunity  to  bring  forward 
some  of  my  favorite  arguments,  one  of  which,  in  particular, 
seemed  to  carry  conviction  to  the  minds  of  all  present,  and 
extorted  from  the  great  man  an  expression  of  praise  ;  such 
praise,  however,  as  is  indicative  of  surprise  rather  than  ap- 
probation. When  the  company  retired,  my  people  at  the 
outer  door  overheard  one  say  to  another,  *  Is  it  not  pleasant 
to  hear  this  foreign  teacher  converse  on  religion?'  'Ay,' 
said  the  other,  *  but  his  doctrines  are  derogatory  to  the  honor 
of  Lord  Gaudama.'  When  they  were  gone,  I  presented  the 
money,  saying  that  I  wished  to  defray  the  expense  of  fencing 
the  ground,  which  had  been  graciously  given  me.  His  excel- 
lency was  pleased  with  the  offer,  but  gently  declined  accept- 
ing anything.     He  then  looked  steadily  at  me,  as  if  to  pene- 


2o8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOW 

trate  into  the  motives  of  my  conduct,  and  recollecting  the 
manoeuvres  of  the  first  English  settlers  in  Bengal,  thought 
he  had  discovered  something.  '  Understand,  teacher,  that 
we  do  not  give  you  the  entire  owning  of  this  ground.  We- 
take  no  recompense,  lest  it  become  Americafi  territory.  We  give 
it  to  you  for  your  present  residence  only,  and,  when  you  go 
away,  shall  take  it  again.'  '  When  I  go  away,  my  lord,  those 
at  whose  expense  the  house  is  to  be  built,  will  desire  to  place 
another  teacher  in  my  stead.'  'Very  well,  let  him  also  oc- 
cupy the  place  ;  but  when  he  dies,  or  when  there  is  no 
teacher,  we  will  take  it.'     '  In  that  case,  my  lord,  take  it.' 

"January  lo.  Spent  the  whole  of  yesterday  and  to-day 
with  various  secretaries  and  officers  of  Government  in  get- 
ting actual  possession  of  the  ground  given  me. 

''January  13.  Built  a  small  house,  and  stationed  one  of 
the  disciples  and  family  to  keep  the  place  during  my  absence. 

"January  18.  Removed  to  Chagaing,  into  a  house  which 
Prince  M.  has  allowed  brother  Price  to  build  on  his  ground, 
in  expectation  that  a  change  of  air  and  residence  would  re- 
lieve me  from  the  fever  and  ague,  under  which  I  suffer  nearly 
every  other  day.  It  is  my  intention,  however,  to  return  im- 
mediately to  Rangoon,  the  time  being  nearly  expired  which 
I  at  first  proposed  to  spend  in  Ava,  and  the  ends  for  which  I 
came  up  being  sufficiently  gained. 

"January  22.  Took  leave  of  Prince  M.  He  desired  me  to 
return  soon,  and  bring  with  me  all  the  Christian  Scriptures, 
and  translate  them  into  Burman.  '  For,'  said  he,  '  I  wish  to 
read  them  all.' 

"January  24.  Went  to  take  leave  of  the  king,  in  company 
with  Mr.  L.,  collector  of  the  port  of  Rangoon,  who  arrived 
last  evening.  We  sat  a  few  moments  conversing  together. 
'What  are  you  talking  about?'  said  his  majesty.  'He  is 
speaking  of  his  return  to  Rangoon,'  replied  Mr.  L.  '  What 
does  he  return  for  ?  Let  him  not  return.  Let  them  both 
[that  is,  brother  Price  and  myself]  stay  together.  If  one 
goes  away,  the  other  must  remain  alone,  and  will  be  un- 
happy,' '  He  wishes  to  go  for  a  short  time  only,'  replied  Mr. 
L.,  '  to  bring  his  wife,  the  female  teacher,  and  his  goods,  not 


LIFE  IN  RANGOON. 


log 


having  brought  anj'thing  with  him  this  time  ;  and  he  will 
return  soon.'  His  majesty  looked  at  me.  '  Will  you,  then, 
come  again  ? '  I  replied  in  the  aflnrmative.  *  When  you 
come  again,  is  it  your  intention  to  remain  permanently,  or 
will  you  go  back  and  forth,  as  foreigners  commonly  do  ? ' 
'  When  I  come  again,  it  is  my  intention  to  remain  perma- 
nently.' 'Very  well,'  said  his  majesty,  and  withdrew  into 
his  inner  apartment. 

"  Heard  to-day  of  the  death  of  Mah  Myat-lah,  sister  of 
Mah  Men-la,  one  of  the  most  steadfast  of  the  church  in 
Rangoon. 

"/am/arj  25.  Embarked  on  a  small  boat,  intending  to  go 
day  and  night,  and  touch  nowhere,  in  order  to  avoid  the  rob- 
bers, of  which  we  have  lately  had  alarming  accounts. 

^^ February  2.  Lord's  day.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning 
reached  Rangoon,  seven  days  from  Ava. 

"A  letter  from  Mrs.  Judson,  in  England,  informs  me  that 
she  is  going  to  America,  and  will  not  be  here  under  several 
months.  I  propose,  therefore,  waiting  her  return,  and  occu- 
pying the  interval  in  finishing  the  translation  of  the  New 
Testament." 

The  way  now  seemed  open  to  establish  a  mission  in  Ava. 
Mr.  Judson  always  longed  to  go  into  the  "  regions  beyond." 
The  Houghs  and  the  Wades  could  sufficiently  care  for  the 
infant  church  at  Rangoon.  Why  not  plant  a  church  in  the 
heart  of  the  empire,  under  the  shelter  of  the  throne?  A 
letter  to  Dr.  Baldwin  discloses  this  daring  purpose  : 

"Rangoon,  February  11,  1S23. 

"Rev.  and  dear  Sir:  My  last  to  you  was  written  just 
before  we  left  Rangoon  for  Ava. 

"You  will  learn  from  my  journal,  forwarded  herewith  to 
the  Corresponding  Secretary,  the  particulars  of  our  visit  to 
Ava.  Sufifice  it  here  to  say  that  the  Lord  has  been  gracious 
to  us  beyond  our  expectation.  My  reception,  as  a  minister 
of  religion,  has  been  very  different  from  what  it  was  before. 
A  liberal  and  candid  spirit  seems  to  prevail  among  all  the 
members  of  the  royal  family,  and  among  many  of  the  leading 
14 


CIO  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRA.M  JCDSOX. 

members  of  Government.  It  is  distinctly  understood  by  the 
king,  and  by  all  who  have  any  knowledge  of  me  at  all,  that  I 
am  a  thah-tha-nah-pyoo-tsayah,  that  is,  a  religion-propagat- 
ing teacher  ;  and  yet  I  have  been  smiled  on,  and  listened  to, 
and,  by  order  of  the  king  himself,  have  received  from  the 
chief  public  minister  of  state  the  grant  of  a  small  piece  of 
ground,  for  the  express  purpose  of  building  a  kyoung  (a 
house  appropriated  to  sacred  characters).  It  is  my  intention, 
therefore,  to  return  thither  as  soon  as  Mrs.  Jiulson  arrives, 
who,  I  hear,  has  gone  on  to  America.  And  in  the  meantime,  I 
shall  occupy  myself  in  finishing  the  translatiiMi  of  the  New 
Testament — a  work  which  I  left  unfinished  with  gieal  reluc- 
tance, and  which  I  rejoice  to  have  leisure  to  resume. 

"  During  my  absence,  one  of  the  best  of  our  church  nu-m- 
bers,  the  sister  of  Mah  Men-la,  was  called  from  this  world  to 
join,  I  trust,  the  church  triumphant.  She  died  in  p(\ue  and 
joy,  professing  her  belief  in  Jesus  Christ,  aiul  saying  that  slie 
should  soon  be  with  Him  in  heaven. 

"  During  the  whole  of  my  residence  at  Ava,  1  was  scvcMily 
afflicted  at  intervals  with  the  fever  and  ague.  1  (.lid  hoiie 
that  a  change  of  climate  would  effect  my  cure  ;  but  the  dis- 
order has  followed  me  to  Rangoon,  and  I  am  subject  to  it 
every  other  day.  Brother  Price  was  apprehensive  that  it 
would  terminate  fatally,  having  resisted  every  medical  appli- 
cation, and  become  so  deeply  rooted  ;  and  he  woiiUl  havt-  ac- 
companied me  hither,  had  I  not  dissuaiUnl  him.  My  only 
hope  now  is,  that  it  will  exhaust  itself  lieforc  my  constitution 
is  exhausted  ;  but  the  Lord's  will  be  done.  T  could  wish  to 
live  to  finish  the  New  Testament,  and  T  should  also  be  happy 
to  see  a  little  church  raised  up  in  Ava,  as  there  has  beim  in 
Rangoon.  But  the  ways  of  God  arc  not  as  the  ways  of  man. 
He  does  all  things  well.  G!  -y  be  to  Ills  holy  nanK-  forever- 
more." 

But  before  going  to  Ava,  he  must  await  Mrs.  Jii(ls(Mrs 
arrival.  Ten  months  intervened  bdwccMi  his  rdnrn  from 
Ava  and  her  arrival  at  Rangoon,  hmiii;'  this  liun-  lie  coin- 
pletcd  the  translation  of  the  New  'reslaniciil  into  IWii  incsc, 


UFK  IX  KAXuOO.W 


.in. I  pivp.uiHl  M\  c\'>\\o\\\c  ol  [\w  OKI  l\-st,iuu'ul.  whivli 
iui;;lu  scM\c>  .IS  .III  iutiovhu  lu>u  lo  llu'shi,l\  ol  \\w  Nfw. 
On  \\\c  \  \{\\  o{  hrviMuh^-i,  iS.';.  tMj;hl  <l.i\  s  .illri  i\h>;.  Jiiil. 
son's  .uii\Ml.  hr  S(i  out  in  iompjn\' wil  h  lu-f  tin  Av.i,  w  hi-ii' 
thi-\-  ,u  ri\  I'll  on  |.niu.u\-  .' >.  i.'>"|.  Ilus  n\.uk»-»l  ,n>  ^poi  h 
\\\  Mr.  Juilson's  lilo.  llis  .utK-nt ,  .ul  ivr  (ciniu-i.iniiiit  w.is 
to  1h>  sub)0(.-tril  to  tlu'  iinnliK'ol  p.issi\o  v-nilui.nu  *■  ,  .nul 
wo  iu>\v  p.iss  lioni  tlu-  ii-mid  ot  l\is  ,uti\ilirs  to  llir  -.Ioin  >>I 
his  sulTcrin5^;.s. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

LIFE   IN   AVA   AND   OUNG-PEN-LA. 
1823-1826. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  left  Rangoon  to  establish 
their  home  in  Ava,  the  outlook  was  encouraging.  They 
had  left  behind  them  a  small  but  vigorous  church  of  eighteen 
converted  Burmans,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hough, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade.  They  had  been  invited  by  the 
king  to  live  in  the  capital  city,  and  had  received  from  him 
a  plot  of  ground  on  which  to  build  a  mission-house.  They 
felt  sure  of  royal  protection  and  favor.  Many  persons  of 
high  rank  seemed  kindly  disposed  to  the  new  religion  ; 
while  Dr.  Price  had  won  golden  opinions  by  his  medical 
skill. 

They  immediately  commenced  the  building  of  a  little 
dwelling-house,  and  Mrs.  Judson  soon  had  a  school  of  three 
native  girls.  Mr.  Judson  preached  in  Burmese  every  Sun- 
day at  Dr.  Price's  house,  and  held  worship  every  evening. 
The  journey  up  the  Irrawaddy  and  the  beginning  of  their 
life  in  Ava  are  described  in  the  following  fragment  from  a 
letter  written  by  Mrs.  Judson  to  her  parents  and  sisters : 

"Ava,  February  re,  1824. 

"After  two  years  and  a  half  wandering,  you  will  be  pleased 
to  hear  that  I  have  at  last  arrived  at  home,  so  far  as  this  life 
is  concerned,  and  am  once  more  quietly  and  happily  settled 
with  Mr.  Judson. 

"We  had  a  quick  and  pleasant  passage  from  Calcutta  tc 
Rangoon.  Mr.  Judson's  boat  was  all  in  readiness,  my  bag- 
212 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA. 


213 


gage  was  immediately  taken  from  the  ship  to  the  boat,  and 
in  seven  days  from  my  arrival  we  were  on  our  way  to  the 
capital.  Our  boat  was  small  and  inconvenient ;  but  the 
current  at  this  season  is  so  very  strong,  and  the  wind  always 
against  us,  that  our  progress  was  slow  indeed.  The  season, 
however,  was  cool  and  delightful  ;  we  were  preserved  from 
dangers  by  day  and  robbers  by  night,  and  arrived  in  safety 
in  six  weeks.  The  A-rah-wah-tee  (Irrawadi)  is  a  noble 
river  ;  its  banks  everywhere  covered  with  immortal  beings, 
destined  to  the  same  eternity  as  ourselves.  We  often  walked 
through  the  villages,  and  though  we  never  received  the 
least  insult,  always  attracted  universal  attention.  A  foreign 
female  was  a  sight  never  before  beheld,  and  all  were  anx- 
ious that  their  friends  and  relatives  should  have  a  view. 
Crowds  followed  us  through  the  villages,  and  some,  who 
were  less  civilized  than  others,  would  run  some  way  before 
us  in  order  to  have  a  long  look  as  we  approached  them.  In 
one  instance,  the  boat  being  some  time  in  doubling  a 
point  we  had  walked  over,  we  seated  ourselves,  when  the 
villagers,  as  usual,  assembled,  and  Mr.  Judson  introduced 
the  subject  of  religion.  Several  old  men  who  were  present 
entered  into  conversation,  while  the  multitude  was  all  at- 
tention. The  apparent  schoolmaster  of  the  village  coming 
up,  Mr.  Judson  handed  him  a  tract,  and  requested  him  to 
read.  After  proceeding  some  way,  he  remarked  to  the  as- 
sembly that  such  a  writing  was  worthy  of  being  copied,  and 
asked  Mr.  Judson  to  remain  while  he  copied  it.  Mr.  Judson 
informed  him  he  might  keep  the  tract,  on  condition  he  read 
it  to  all  his  neighbors.  We  could  not  but  hope  the  Spirit  of 
God  would  bless  those  few  simple  truths  to  the  salvation  of 
some  of  their  souls. 

"Our  boat  was  near  being  upset  in  passing  through  o'le 
of  the  rapids  with  which  this  river  abounds.  The  rudder 
became  entangled  in  the  rocks,  which  brought  the  boat 
across  the  stream  and  laid  her  on  one  side.  The  steersman, 
however,  had  presence  of  mind  sufficient  to  cut  the  rudder 
from  the  boat,  which  caused  her  to  right,  without  experienc- 
ing any  other  inconvenience  than  a  thorough  fright  and  the 


214  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

loss  of  our  breakfast,  which  was  precipitated  from  the  fire- 
place into  the  water,  together  with  everything  on  the  out- 
side of  the  boat. 

"  On  our  arrival  at  Ava,  we  had  more  difficulties  to  en- 
counter, and  such  as  we  had  never  before  experienced.  We 
had  no  home,  no  house  to  shelter  us  from  the  burning  sun 
by  day  and  the  cold  dews  at  night.  Dr.  Price  had  kindly 
met  us  on  the  way,  and  urged  our  taking  up  our  residence 
with  him  ;  but  his  house  was  in  such  an  unfinished  state,  and 
the  walls  so  damp  (of  brick,  and  just  built),  that  spending 
two  or  three  hours  threw  me  into  a  fever,  and  induced  me  to 
feel  that  it  would  be  presumption  to  remain  longer.  We  had 
but  one  alternative — to  remain  in  the  boat  till  we  could  build 
a  small  house  on  the  spot  of  ground  which  the  king  gave 
Mr.  Judson  last  year.  And  you  will  hardly  believe  it  possi- 
ble—for I  almost  doubt  my  senses — that,  in  just  a  fortnight 
from  our  arrival,  we  moved  into  a  house  built  in  that  time, 
and  which  is  sufficiently  large  to  make  us  comfortable.  It  is 
in  a  most  delightful  situation,  out  of  the  dust  of  the  town, 
and  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  spot  of  ground  given  by 
his  majesty  is  small,  being  only  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
long  and  seventy-five  wide  ;  but  it  is  our  own,  and  is  the 
most  healthy  situation  I  have  seen.  Our  house  is  raised  four 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  consists  of  three  small  rooms  and 
a  veranda. 

"  I  hardly  know  how  we  shall  bear  the  hot  season,  which 
is  just  commencing,  as  our  house  is  built  of  boards,  and  be- 
fore night  is  heated  like  an  oven.  Nothing  but  brick  is  a 
shelter  from  the  heat  of  Ava,  where  the  thermometer,  even 
in  the  shade,  frequently  rises  to  a  hundred  and  eight  de- 
grees. We  have  worship  every  evening  in  Burman,  when  a 
number  of  the  natives  assemble  ;  and  every  Sabbath  Mr. 
Judson  preaches  the  other  side  of  the  river  in  Dr.  Price's 
house.  We  feel  it  an  inestimable  privilege,  that  amid  all 
our  discouragements  we  have  the  language,  and  are  able 
constantly  to  communicate  truths  which  can  save  the  soul. 

"  My  female  school  has  already  commenced  with  three  little 
girls,  who  are  learning  to  read,  sew,  etc.     Two  of  them  are 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA. 


215 


sisters,  and  we  have  named  them  Mary  and  Abby  Hasseltine. 
One  of  them  is  to  be  supported  with  the  money  which  the 
'Judson  Association  of  Bradford  Academy'  have  engaged 
to  collect.  They  are  fine  children,  and  improve  as  rapidly 
as  any  children  in  the  world.  Their  mother  is  deranged, 
and  their  father  gave  them  to  me  to  educate,  so  that  I  have 
been  at  no  expense  for  them  excepting  their  food  and  clothes. 
I  have  already  begun  to  make  inquiries  for  children,  and 
doubt  not  we  shall  be  directed  in  regard  to  our  school." 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Judson  to  Dr.  Baldwin 
shows,  however,  that  a  dark  cloud  was  gathering  on  the 
horizon  : 

"  AvA,  February  19,  1824. 

"  My  last  was  dated  the  7th  of  December,  a  few  days  after 
Mrs,  J.'s  arrival  in  Rangoon.  We  left  on  the  13th  ensuing, 
and  were  six  weeks  on  the  journey.  A  few  days  below  Ava, 
brother  Price  met  us  in  a  small  boat,  having  heard  of  our 
approach.  From  him  we  first  learned  that  all  the  A-hucn- 
woons,  the  privy  council  of  the  king,  had  been  turned  out  of 
office,  and  a  new  set  appointed,  with  whom  we  had  no  ac- 
quaintance or  interest.  Various  occurrences  had  conspired 
to  render  the  king  somewhat  disaffected  toward  foreigners. 
Brother  Price  has  made  but  little  advance  in  the  royal  favor. 
On  my  appearing  at  the  palace,  I  found  that  a  year  had 
made  great  changes.  My  old  friends  and  advocates  before 
the  king  were  missing.  Very  few  recognized  me.  At  length 
his  majesty  came  forward,  just  spoke  to  me,  and  accepted  a 
small  present.  But  I  have  seen  him  twice  since  without  ob- 
taining a  word  or  look. 

"  The  only  persons  who  ever  received  me  with  real  cordi- 
ality are  Prince  M.  and  his  wife  ;  but  even  they  are  not  much 
disposed  to  converse  on  religion. 

"I  have  public  worship  every  Lord's  day  at  brother  Price's, 
as  he  is  able,  from  his  acquaintance  with  the  neighbors 
around  him,  to  collect  an  assembly  of  a  dozen  or  twenty, 
including  two  or  three  of  the  disciples  who  accompanied  us 
from  Rangoon. 


2i6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  J  I'D  SON. 

''  But  my  time  has  been  hitherto  almost  wholly  occupied 
in  getting  up  something  to  shelter  us  on  the  lot  formally 
assigned  me  b)'  the  Government.  It  will  be  necessary  also 
to  build  a  small  brick  house  as  soon  as  possible,  and  to  use 
every  other  precaution  against  the  heat,  which  is  so  intense 
during  the  months  of  April,  May,  and  June,  as  to  raise  the 
thermometer  to  one  hundred  and  eight  and  ten  in  the  shade. 

"A  misunderstanding  has  existed  for  several  months  be- 
tween this  and  the  Bengal  Government.  Troops  have 
marched  from  both  sides  to  the  frontiers.  War  appeared  at 
one  time  to  be  certain,  but  the  latest  accounts  are  rather 
pacific.  In  the  case  of  actual  war,  as  the  distinction  between 
Americans  and  Englishmen  is  pretty  well  understood  in  this 
place,  we  hope  we  shall  not  be  considered  as  implicated,  and 
suffer  no  other  inconvenience  than  that  of  having  all  com,- 
munication  with  our  friends  cut  off,  except  in  case  of  war's 
reaching  the  capital,  when  we  shall  be  exposed  to  the  vicis- 
situdes and  dangers  incident  to  such  a  state. 

"  But  in  all  cases,  we  trust  that  we  have  a  few  dear  friends 
at  home  who  bear  us  on  their  hearts  at  the  throne  of  grace, 
and  a  still  dearer  and  greater  Friend  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  Divine  Presence  in  Heaven,  who  is  touched  with  the  feel- 
ing of  our  infirmities,  and  will  graciously  succor  us  in  the 
time  of  trouble  and  make  us  come  off  conquerors  at  last. 

"  But,  my  dear  and  venerable  friend  and  brother  and 
father,  you  are,  from  long  experience,  more  able  than  I  am 
to  taste  the  sweetness  of  this  precious  truth  ;  and  your  ad- 
vanced age,  and  the  grace  of  Christ,  enable  you  to  hope  that 
you  will  ere  long  be  allowed  to  adopt  the  triumphant  lan- 
guage of  the  Apostle  Paul.  Pray  for  me,  that  I  may  be  ac- 
counted worthy  to  hold  out  to  the  end,  and  finally  meet 
with  you  before  the  throne,  and  handle  a  harp  of  gold  in 
the  dear  Redeemer's  praise." 

Mr.  Judson's  forebodings  were  well  founded.  War  soon 
broke  out  between  Burmah  and  the  English  Government  in 
India.  For  two  years  after  the  writing  of  the  above  letter, 
the  Christians  of  America  were  kept  in  a  state  of  terrible 


LIFE  IX  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA. 


217 


suspense,  unbroken  by  any  tidings  from  their  missionaries 
in  Ava,  which  was  only  assuaged  by  fervent  and  universal 
prayer  on  their  behalf. 

The  occasion  of  the  war  was  Chittagong,  that  particular 
strip  of  low  land  lying  along  the  sea  and  flanking  Burmah 
on  the  west,  and  to  which  Mr.  Colman  had  gone  to  prepare 
an  asylum  for  the  Judsons  in  case  they  should  be  driven 
out  of  Rangoon.  This  district  was  under  British  rule,  and 
refugees  from  the  cruel  despotism  of  Burmah  had  taken 
shelter  there.  The  Burman  monarch  insisted  that  his  vic- 
tims should  be  arrested  by  the  English  authorities  and 
handed  over  to  him.  Besides,  he  felt  that  Chittagong  be- 
longed naturally  to  Burmah.  And  such  was  his  pride  and 
his  contempt  for  British  prowess,  that  he  deemed  it  quite 
possible  for  him  not  only  to  recover  this  territory,  but  even 
to  conquer  the  whole  of  Bengal. 

When  war  actually  broke  out,  suspicion  fell  at  once  on  all 
the  white  foreigners  residing  in  Ava.  They  were  thought 
to  be  spies  secretly  acting  in  collusion  with  the  English 
Government.  They  were  immediately  arrested,  fettered, 
and  thrown  into  the  death-prison. 

"  I  was  seized,"  Dr.  Judson  writes,  "  on  the  8th  of  June, 
1824,  in  consequence  of  the  war  with  Bengal,  and  in  com- 
pany with  Dr.  Price,  three  Englishmen,  one  American,  and 
one  Greek,  was  thrown  into  the  death-prison  at  Ava,  where 
we  lay  eleven  months — nine  months  in  three  pairs,  and  two 
months  in  five  pairs  of  fetters.  The  scenes  we  witnessed 
and  the  sufferings  we  underwent  during  that  period  I  would 
fain  consign  to  oblivion.  From  the  death-prison  at  Ava, 
we  were  removed  to  a  country  prison  at  Oung-pen-la,  ten 
miles  distant,  under  circumstances  of  such  severe  treatment, 
that  one  of  our  number,  the  Greek,  expired  on  the  road  ;  and 
some  of  the  rest,  among  whom  was  myself,  were  scarcely 
able  to  move  for  several  days.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
Government,  in  removing  us  from  Ava,  to  have  us  sacrificed 


2i8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

in  order  to  insure  victory  over  the  foreigners  ;  but  the  sud- 
den disgrace  and  death  of  the  adviser  of  that  measure 
'  prevented  its  execution.  I  remained  in  the  Oung-pen-la 
prison  six  months  in  one  pair  of  fetters  ;  at  the  expiration 
of  which  period,  I  was  taken  out  of  irons,  and  sent  under  a 
•strict  guard  to  the  Burmese  headquarters  at  Mah-looan,  to 
act  as  interpreter  and  translator.  Two  months  more  elapsed, 
when,  on  my  return  to  Ava,  I  was  released  at  the  instance  of 
Moung  Shwa-Ioo,  the  north  governor  of  the  palace,  and  put 
under  his  charge.  During  the  six  weeks  that  I  resided  with 
him,  the  affairs  of  the  Government  became  desperate,  the 
British  troops  making  steady  advances  on  the  capital  ;  and 
after  Dr.  Price  had  been  twice  dispatched  to  negotiate  for 
peace  (a  business  which  I  declined  as  long  as  possible),  I  was 
taken  by  force  and  associated  with  him.  We  found  the 
British  above  Pah-gan  ;  and  on  returning  to  Ava  with  their 
final  terms,  I  had  the  happiness  of  procuring  the  release  of 
the  very  last  of  my  fellow-prisoners  ;  and  on  the  21st  inst. 
obtained  the  reluctant  consent  of  the  Government  to  my 
final  departure  from  Ava  with  Mrs.  Judson." 

In  these  few  modest  words  Mr.  Judson  passes  over  all 
the  prolonged  horrors  which  he  endured  in  the  confinement 
of  an  Oriental  jail.  Let  us  glance  at  his  experience  more  in 
detail.  His  imprisonment  was  remarkable  for  its  duration. 
For  nine  months  he  was  confined  in  three  pairs  of  fetters, 
two  months  in  five,  six  months  in  one;  for  two  months  he 
was  a  prisoner  at  large  ;  and  for  nearly  two  months,  although 
released  from  prison,  he  was  yet  restrained  in  Ava  under 
the  charge  of  the  north  governor  of  the  palace,  so  that  his 
confinement  reached  nearly  to. the  end  of  twenty-one  long 
months. 

Again,  for  most  of  the  time  of  his  confinement,  he  was 
shut  up  in  a  loathsome,  wretched  place. 

"  It  derives  its  remarkable,  well-selected  name,  Let-ma-yoon 
— literally  interpreted,  hand,  shri?ik  not — from  the  revolting 
scenes  of  cruelty  practiced  within  its  walls.     To  those  ac- 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA.  219 

quainted  with  the  Burmese  language,  the  name  conveys  a 
peculiar  impression  of  terror.  It  contemplates  the  extreme 
of  human  suffering,  and  when  this  has  reached  a  point  at 
which  our  nature  recoils — when  it  is  supposed  that  any  one 
bearing  the  human  form  might  well  refuse  to  be  the  instru- 
ment to  add  to  it,  the  hand  of  the  executioner  is  apostro- 
phized and  encouraged  not  to  follow  the  dictates  of  the 
heart  :  '  Thine  eye  shall  not  pity  and  thine  hand  not  spare.' "  * 

The  Let-ma-yoon  was  a  building  about  forty  feet  long  and 
thirty  feet  -wide.  It  was  five  or  six  feet  high  along  the 
sides,  but  as  the  roof  sloped,  the  centre  of  it  was  perhaps 
double  that  height.  There  was  no  ventilation  except 
through  the  chinks  between  the  boards  and  through  the 
door,  which  was  generally  closed.  On  the  thin  roof  poured 
down  the  burning  rays  of  a  tropical  sun.  In  this  room 
were  confined  nearly  one  hundred  prisoners  of  both  sexes 
and  all  nationalities.  Dr.  Price  thus  describes  the  impres- 
sions he  received  on  entering  the  prison  : 

"  A  little  bamboo  door  opened,  and  I  rose  to  go  toward  it.  But  oh  ! 
who  can  describe  my  sensations  !  shackled  like  a  common  felon,  in  the 
care  of  hangmen,  the  offscouring  of  the  country,  turned  like  a  dog  into 
his  kennel,  my  wife,  my  dear  family,  left  to  suffer  alone  all  the  rudeness 
such  wretches  are  capable  of.  The  worst,  however,  was  yet  to  come  ; 
for  making  the  best  of  my  way  up  the  high  steps,  I  was  ushered  into  the 
grand  apartment.  Horror  of  horrors,  what  a  sight !  never  to  my  dying 
day  shall  I  forget  the  scene :  a  dim  lamp  in  the  midst,  just  making  dark- 
ness visible,  and  discovering  to  my  horrified  gaze  sixty  or  seventy 
wretched  objects,  some  in  long  rows  made  fast  in  the  stocks,  some  strung 
on  long  poles,  some  simply  fettered ;  but  all  sensible  of  a  new  acquisi- 
tion of  misery  in  the  approach  of  a  new  prisoner.  Stupefied,  I  stopped 
to  gaze  till,  goaded  on,  I  proceeded  toward  the  further  end,  when  I  again 
halted.  A  new  and  unexpected  sight  met  my  eyes.  Till  now  I  had 
been  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  fate  of  my  companions.  A  long  row  of 
white  objects,  stretched  on  the  floor  in  a  most  crowded  situation,  revealed 
to  me,  however,  but  too  well  their  sad  state,  and  I  was  again  urged  for- 
ward. Poor  old  Rodgers,  wishing  to  retain  the  end  of  the  bamboo, 
made  way  fo"  me  to  be  placed  alongside  of  Mr.  Judson.    '  We  all  hoped 


*  Goug-p.r's  "  Narrative  of  Imprisonment  in  Burmah." 


220  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

you  would  have  escaped,  you  were  so  long  coming,'  was  the  first  friendly 
salutation  I  had  yet  received  ;  but  alas,  it  was  made  by  friends  whose 
sympathy  was  now  unavailable." 

The  following  description  of  the  interior  of  this  jail  is 
given  by  an  English  fellow-prisoner  of  Mr.  Judson  : 

"  The  only  articles  of  furniture  the  place  contained  were  these :  First, 
and  most  prominent,  was  a  gigantic  row  of  stocks,  similar  in  its  con- 
struction to  that  formerly  used  in  England,  but  now  nearly  extinct ; 
though  dilapidated  specimens  may  still  be  seen  in  some  of  the  market- 
places of  our  own  country  towns.  It  was  capable  of  accommodating 
more  than  a  dozen  occupants,  and  like  a  huge  alligator  opened  and  shut 
its  jaws  with  a  loud  snap  upon  its  prey.  Several  smaller  reptiles,  inter- 
esting varieties  of  the  same  species,  lay  basking  around  this  monster, 
each  holding  by  the  leg  a  pair  of  hapless  victims  consigned  to  its  custody. 
These  were  heavy  logs  of  timber,  bored  with  holes  to  admit  the  feet,  and 
fitted  with  wooden  pins  to  hold  them  fast.  In  the  centre  of  the  apart- 
ment was  placed  a  tripod,  holding  a  large  earthen  cup  filled  with  earth- 
oil,  to  be  used  as  a  lamp  during  the  night-watches ;  and  lastly,  a  simple 
but  suspicious-looking  piece  of  machinery  whose  painful  uses  it  was  my 
fate  to  test  before  many  hours  had  elapsed.  It  was  merely  a  long  bam- 
boo suspended  from  the  roof  by  a  rope  at  each  end,  and  worked  by 
blocks  or  pulleys,  to  raise  or  depress  it  at  pleasure. 

"  Before  me,  stretched  on  the  floor,  lay  forty  or  fifty  hapless  wretches, 
whose  crimes  or  misfortunes  had  brought  them  into  this  place  of  torment. 
They  were  all  nearly  naked,  and  the  half-famished  features  and  skele- 
ton frames  of  many  of  them  too  plainly  told  the  storj-  of  their  protracted 
sufferings.  Very  few  were  without  chains,  and  some  had  one  or  both 
feet  in  the  stocks  besides.  A  sight  of  such  squalid  wretchedness  can 
hardly  be  imagined.  Silence  seemed  to  be  the  order  of  the  day ;  per- 
haps the  poor  creatures  were  so  engrossed  with  their  own  misery  that 
they  hardly  cared  to  make  any  remarks  on  the  intrusion  of  so  unusual  an 
inmate  as  myself. 

"  If  the  ensetjzble  be  difficult  to  portray,  the  stench  was  absolutely  in- 
describable, for  it  was  not  like  anything  which  exists  elsewhere  in  crea- 
tion. I  will  therefore  give  the  facts,  and  leave  the  reader's  nose  to 
understand  them  by  a  synthetic  course  of  reasoning — if  it  can. 

"  The  prison  had  never  been  washed,  nor  even  swept,  since  it  was 
built.  So  I  was  told,  and  have  no  doubt  it  was  true;  for,  besides  the 
ocular  proof  from  its  present  condition,  it  is  certain  no  attempt  was  made 
to  cleanse  it  during  my  subsequent  tenancy  of  eleven  months..  This  gave 
a  kind  of  fixedness  or  permanency  to  the  fetid  odors,  until  the  very  floors 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  '       221 

and  walls  were  saturated  with  them,  and  joined  in  emitting-  the  pest. 
Putrid  remains  of  castaway  animal  and  vegetable  stuff,  which  needed  no 
broom  to  make  it  move  on — the  stale  fumes  from  thousands  of  tobacco- 
pipes — the  scattered  ejections  of  the  pulp  and  liquid  from  their  everlast- 
ing betel,  and  other  nameless  abominations,  still  more  disgusting,  which 
strewed  the  floor — and  if  to  this  be  added  the  exudations  from  the  bodies 
of  a  crowd  of  never-washed  convicts,  encouraged  by  the  thermometer  at 
100°,  in  a  den  almost  without  ventilation — is  it  possible  to  say  what  it 
smeli  like  ? 

"  As  might  have  been  expected  from  such  a  state  of  things,  the  place 
was  teeming  with  creeping  vermin  to  such  an  extent  that  very  soon 
reconciled  me  to  the  plunder  of  the  greater  portion  of  my  dress." 

Surely  it  were  enough  for  Mr.  Judson  to  be  shut  up  in 
the  hot,  stifling  stench  of  a  place  like  this  without  having 
his  ankles  and  legs  weighted  with  five  pairs  of  irons,  the 
scars  from  which  he  wore  to  his  dying  day.  He  could  say 
with  the  Apostle  Paul,  "  I  bear  in  my  body  the  marks  of  the 
Lord  Jesus."  In  each  pair  of  fetters  the  two  iron  rings 
were  connected  by  a  chain  so  short  that  the  heel  of  one  foot 
could  hardly  be  advanced  to  the  toe  of  the  other ;  and  this 
task  could  be  accomplished  only  by  '*  shuffling  a  few  inches 
at  a  time."  The  five  pairs  of  irons  weighed  about  fourteen 
pounds,  and  when  they  were  removed  after  being  long  worn, 
there  was  a  strained  sensation,  the  equilibrium  of  the  body 
seemingly  destroyed,  so  that  the  head  was  too  heavy  for  the 
feet.  Then  at  nightfall,  lest  the  prisoners  should  escape, 
they  were  strung  (to  use  Dr.  Price's  graphic  if  not  elegant 
expression)  on  a  bamboo  pole. 

"When  night  came  on,"  writes  one  of  Mr.  Judson's  fellow-prisonp'-s, 
"  the  '  Father '  of  the  establishment,  entering,  stalked  toward  our  comer. 
The  meaning  of  the  bamboo  now  became  apparent.  It  was  passed  be- 
tween the  legs  of  each  individual,  and  when  it  had  threaded  our  number, 
seven  in  all,  a  man  at  each  end  hoisted  it  up  by  the  blocks  to  a  height 
which  allowed  our  shoulders  to  rest  on  the  ground,  while  our  feet  de- 
pended from  the  iron  rings  of  the  fetters.  The  adjustment  of  the  height 
was  left  to  the  judgment  of  our  kind-hearted  parent,  who  stood  by  to  see 
that  it  was  not  high  enough  to  endanger  life,  nor  low  enough  to  exempt 
fiom  pain In  the  morning,  our  considerate  parent  made  his  ap- 


222       "  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

pearance,  and,  with  his  customary  grin,  lowered  down  the  bamboo  to 
within  a  foot  of  the  fioor,  to  the  great  relief  of  our  benumbed  limbs,  in 
which  the  blood  slowly  began  again  to  circulate." 

When  Mr.  Judson  was  subjected  to  these  indignities  and 
tortures,  he  was  in  the  very  prime  of  hfe — thirty-six  years 
old.  He  had  come  to  that  age  when  a  good  physical  con- 
stitution is  thoroughly  seasoned  and  well  qualified  to  endure 
hardship. 

He  had  always  taken  the  best  care  of  his  health  consistent 
with  the  performance  of  his  multiform  duties.  Even  before 
leaving  America,  he  had  adopted  the  following  rules  :  First, 
frequently  to  inhale  large  quantities  of  air,  so  as  to  expand 
the  lungs  to  the  uttermost ;  secondly,  daily  to  sponge  the 
whole  body  in  cold  water ;  and  thirdly,  and  above  all,  to 
take  systematic  exercise  in  walking. 

Again,  he  had  that  tough,  wiry  physique  which  endures 
unexpectedly  even  during  prolonged  crises.  All  this  was  in 
his  favor.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  a  student,  unused 
to  suffering  hardship.  His  naturally  vigorous  constitution 
had  been  somewhat  enfeebled  by  ten  years  of  close  applica- 
tion to  study  in  a  tropical  climate,  and  of  late  years  had 
been  completely  shattered  by  repeated  blows  of  fever  and 
ague.  He  was  reared  in  the  cold,  bracing  air  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  during  the  tedious  hours  of  imprisonment,  how 
often  must  his  memory  have  projected  the  sufferings  of  the 
Oriental  jail  against  the  background  of  the  cool,  green  hill- 
sides of  his  childhood.     For 

.  .  .  .  "  this  is  truth  the  poet  sings, 
That  a  sorrow's  crown  of  sorrow  is  remembering  happier  things." 

And  his  was  an  active,  methodical  nature,  to  which  the 
enforced  idleness  of  twenty-one  months  must  have  brought 
the  keenest  torture.  There  was  his  Burman  Bible  unfinish- 
ed, and  ten  years  of  work  in  Rangoon  going  to  pieces  in  his 
absence.  He  longed  to  be  preaching  the  Gospel.  Now  that 
he  had   at   last  completely  mastered   the  native  tongue,  he 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  223 

was  filled  with  Jeremiah's  consuming  zeal.     "  His  word  was 
in  mine  heart,  as  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  my  bones." 

Endowed  with  a  nervous  temperament,  his  nature  was 
exceedingly  sensitive  to  discomfort.  One  of  his  fellow- 
prisoners  says:  "  His  painful  sensitiveness  to  anything  gross 
or  uncleanly,  amounting  almost  to  folly,  was  an  unfortunate 
virtue  to  possess,  and  made  him  live  a  life  of  constant  mar- 
tyrdom."    Of  his  personal  habits,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  says: 

"  His  predilection  for  neatness,  uniformity,  and  order 
amounted,  indeed,  to  a  passion.  Then  he  had  an  innate  sort 
of  refinement  about  him,  which  would  subject  him  to  annoy- 
ance when  a  less  sensitive  person  would  only  be  amused — a 
most  inconvenient  qualification  for  a  missionary.  This  pas- 
sion for  order — which  I  should  rather  consider  an  unconquer- 
able love  for  the  beautiful  and  elegant,  studiously  perverted 
^displayed  itself  rather  oddly  after  the  means  for  its  natural 
gratification  and  development  were  cut  off.  Nobody  ever 
luxuriated  more  in  perfectly  spotless  linen,  though,  partly 
from  necessity,  and  partly  because  there  was  a  suspicion 
among  his  friends  that  he  would  wear  no  other,  it  was  always 
coarse.  The  tie  of  the  narrow  black  ribbon,  which  he  wore 
instead  of  a  neckcloth,  was  perfect,  and  the  ribbon  itself 
would  not  have  soiled  the  purest  snow,  though  it  was  often 
limp  and  rusty  from  frequent  washing.  His  general  dress  was 
always  clean,  and  adjusted  with  scrupulous  exactness,  though 
it  often  looked  as  if  it  might  have  belonged  to  some  rustic  of 
the  last  century,  being  of  the  plainest  material,  and  in 
fashion  the  American  idea  of  what  was  proper  for  a  mission- 
ary, perpetuated  in  broad  caricature  by  a  bungling  Bengalee 
tailor.  Most  people  thought  that  he  dressed  oddly  from  a 
love  of  eccentricity  ;  but  the  truth  is,  he  was  not  in  the  least 
aware  of  anything  peculiar  in  his  costume,  never  seeing  him- 
self in  a  mirror  larger  than  his  pocket  toilet-glass.  He  could 
see  his  feet,  however  ;  and  his  shoes  never  had  a  spot  on 
their  polish,  nor  the  long,  white,  carefully-gartered  stockings 
a  wrinkle,  much  less  a  stain.  In  the  construction  and  ar- 
rangement   of   his    unique    studying   apparatus,  which    w^as 


2  24  ^^^^  ^^^^  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

composed  of  two  long,  narrow  boxes  mounted  on  a  teak 
table,  there  was  the  same  mixture  of  plainness  with  neatness 
and  order,  and,  what  was  rather  conspicuous  in  all  his  ar- 
rangements, a  wonderful  capacity  for  convenience.  No  one 
ever  thought  of  invading  his  study  corner ;  for  he  dusted  his 
books  and  papers  himself,  and  knew  so  well  where  everything 
was  placed,  that  he  could  have  laid  his  hand  upon  the  small- 
est article  in  the  darkest  night." 

A  nature  amply  endowed  with  these  fine  sensibilities 
must  have  instinctively  shrunk  from  the  filth  of  the  dungeon 
and  the  squalor  of  the  prisoners  ;  while  the  constrained  and 
crowded  position,  night  and  day,  and  the  galling  fetters, 
were  almost  unendurable. 

There  was  also  much  to  shock  his  moral  nature.  He 
found  himself  thrown  into  close  association  with  the  basest 
criminals  of  the  Burman  capital.  His  pure  look  rested 
upon  their  repulsive  features,  his  reluctant  ears  were  filled 
with  their  vulgar  and  blasphemous  jests.  Besides  this, 
again  and  again  he  saw  the  wretched  prisoner  tortured  with 
the  cord  and  the  mallet,  and  was  forced  to  hear  the  writhing 
victim's  shriek  of  anguish. 

Again,  he  was  a  man  of  the  strongest  and  tenderest  affec- 
tions. What  keen  mental  anguish  must  he  have  experienced 
at  the  thought  of  his  beloved  wife  threading  alone  the  hot, 
crowded  streets,  hourly  exposed  to  the  insults  of  rude  Bur- 
man  officials  ;  day  by  day  bringing  or  sending  food  to  the 
jail ;  assuaging  the  wretchedness  of  the  prisoners  by  bribing 
their  keepers  ;  pleading  for  the  release  of  her  husband  with 
one  Burman  officer  after  another,  and  with  such  pathetic 
eloquence  that  on  one  occasion  she  melted  to  tears  even  the 
old  governor  of  the  prison  ;  giving  birth  to  her  babe  during 
a  confinement  of  only  twenty  days  ;  carrying  her  little  Maria 
all  the  way  in  her  arms  to  that  "  never-to-be-forgotten  place," 
Oung-pen-la,  her  only  conveyance  a  rough  cart,  the  violent 
motion  of  which,  together  with  the  dreadful  heat  and  dust, 
made  her  almost  distracted  ;  nursing  her  infant  and  the  little 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA. 


225 


native  girls  under  her  care  through  a  course  of  small-pox  ; 
and  at  last,  broken  down  herself,  and  brought  to  death's 
door  by  the  same  loathsome  disease,  succeeded  by  the  dread 
spotted  fever. 

Add  to  these  horrors  of  Mr.  Judson's  imprisonment  the 
daily  and  even  hourly  anticipation  of  torture  and  death,  and 
it  will  be  difficult  to  conceive  of  a  denser  cloud  of  miseries 
than  that  which  settled  down  on  his  devoted  head.  The 
prisoners  knew  that  they  were  arrested  as  spies.  The  Bur- 
man  king  and  his  generals  were  exasperated  by  the  rapid 
and  unexpected  successes  of  the  English  army,  and  Mr. 
Judson  and  his  fellow-prisoners  had  every  reason  to  suppose 
that  this  pent-up  fury  would  be  poured  upon  their  heads. 
It  was  customary  to  question  the  prisoner  with  instruments 
of  torture — the  cord  and  the  iron  mallet.  Rumors  of  a 
frightful  doom  were  constantly  sounding  in  their  ears.  Now 
they  heard  their  keepers  during  the  night  sharpening  the 
knives  to  decapitate  the  prisoners  the  next  morning  ;  now 
the  roar  of  their  mysterious  fellow-prisoner,  a  huge,  starving 
lioness,  convinced  them  that  they  were  to  be  executed  by 
being  thrown  into  her  cage  ;  now  it  was  reported  that  they 
were  to  be  burned  up  together  with  their  prison  as  a  sacri- 
fice ;  now  that  they  were  to  be  buried  alive  at  the  head  of 
the  Burman  army  in  order  to  insure  its  victory  over  the 
English.  The  following  description  by  Mr.  Gouger  of  the 
solerr^i  hour  of  three,  shows  the  exquisite  mental  torture  to 
which  the  prisoners  were  subjected  : 

"Within  the  walls  nothing  worthy  of  notice  occurred  until  the  hour  of 
three  in  the  afternoon.  As  this  hour  approached,  we  noticed  that  the 
talking  and  jesting  of  the  community  gradually  died  away  ;  all  seemed 
to  be  under  the  influence  of  some  powerful  restraint,  until  that  fatal  hour 
was  announced  by  the  deep  tones  of  a  powerful  gong  suspended  in  the 
palace- yard,  and  a  death-like  silence  prevailed.  If  a  word  was  spoken 
it  was  in  a  whisper.  It  seemed  as  though  even  breathing  vv^ere  suspended 
under  the  control  of  a  panic  terror,  too  deep  for  expression,  which  per- 
vaded every  bosom.  We  did  not  long  remain  in  ignorance  of  the  cause. 
If  any  of  the  prisoners  were  to  suffer  death  that  day,  the  hour  of  three 
IS 


2  26  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

was  that  at  which  they  were  taken  out  for  execution.  The  very  manner 
of  it  was  the  acme  of  cold-blooded  cruelty.  The  hour  was  scarcely  tolled 
by  the  gong  when  the  wicket  opened,  and  the  hideous  figure  of  a  spotted 
man  appeared,  who,  without  uttering  a  word,  walked  straight  to  his  vic- 
tim, now  for  the  first  time  probably  made  acquainted  with  his  doom. 
As  many  of  these  unfortunate  people  knew  no  more  than  ourselves  the 
fate  that  awaited  them,  this  mystery  was  terrible  and  agonizing  ;  each 
one  fearing,  up  to  the  last  moment,  that  the  stride  of  the  spot  might  be 
directed  his  way.  When  the  culprit  disappeared  with  his  conductor,  and 
the  prison  door  closed  behind  them,  those  who  remained  began  again  to 
breathe  more  freely ;  for  another  day,  at  least,  their  lives  were  safe. 

"  I  have  described  this  process  just  as  I  saw  it  practiced.  On  this 
first  day,  two  men  were  thus  led  away  in  total  silence  ;  not  a  useless 
question  was  asked  by  the  one  party,  nor  explanation  given  by  the  other ; 
all  was  too  well  understood.  After  this  inhuman  custom  was  made 
known  to  us,  we  could  not  but  participate  with  the  rest  in  their  diurnal 
misgivings,  and  shudder  at  the  sound  of  the  gong  and  the  apparition  of 
the  pahquet.  It  was  a  solemn  daily  lesson  of  an  impressive  character, 
'  Be  ye  also  ready.'  " 

It  is  no  wonder  that  Mr.  Judson  in  the  midst  of  these 
horrors  took  refuge  in  the  quietism  of  Madame  Guyon, 
and  used  often  to  murmur  her  beautiful  lines  : 

"  No  place  I  seek,  but  to  fulfil 
In  life,  and  death,  Thy  lovely  will  ; 
No  succor  in  my  woes  I  want. 
Except  what  Thou  art  pleased  to  gram 
Our  days  are  numbered— let  us  spare 
Our  anxious  hearts  a  needless  care ; 
'Tis  Thine  to  number  out  our  days. 
And  ours  to  give  them  to  Thy  praise." 

His  sublime  faith  in  God  never  faltered.  One  of  his 
fellow-captives  thus  writes  of  him  : 

"Often  he  expressed  to  me  such  sentiments  as  these:  '  Think  what 
the  consequences  of  this  invasion  must  be.  Here  have  I  been  ten  years 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  timid  listeners  who  wished  to  embrace  the 
truth,  but  dared  not  ;  beseeching  the  emperor  to  grant  liberty  of  con- 
science to  his  people,  but  without  success  ;  and  now,  when  all  human 
means  seemed  at  an  end,  God  opens  the  way  by  leading  a  Christian 
nation  to  subdue  the  country.     It  is  possible  that  my  life  may  be  spared  ; 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  0 UN G-P EN-LA.  227 

if  so,  with  what  ardor  and  gratitude  shall  I  pursue  my  work  ;  and  if  not, 
His  will  be  done  ;  the  door  will  be  opened  for  others  who  will  do  the 
work  better.  " 

The  following  letter  from  Mrs.  Judson  to  her  brother 
tells  the  story  of  the  imprisonment,  and  forms,  perhaps,  the 
most  thrilling  recital  to  be  found  in  the  annals  of  missions  : 

"  Rangoon,  May  26,  1S26. 

"  I  commence  this  letter  with  the  intention  of  giving  you 
the  particulars  of  our  captivity  and  sufferings  at  Ava.  How 
long  my  patience  will  allow  my  reviewing  scenes  of  disgust 
and  horror,  the  conclusion  of  this  letter  will  determine.  I 
had  kept  a  journal  of  everything  that  had  transpired  from 
our  arrival  at  Ava,  but  destroyed  it  at  the  commencenaent  of 
our  difficulties. 

"  The  first  certain  intelligence  we  received  of  the  declara- 
tion of  war  by  the  Burmese  was  on  our  arrival  at  Tsen-pyoo- 
kywon,  about  a  hundred  miles  this  side  of  Ava,  where  part 
of  the  troops  under  the  command  of  the  celebrated  Bandoola 
had  encamped.  As  we  proceeded  on  our  journey,  we  met 
Bandoola  himself  with  the  remainder  of  his  troops,  gaily 
equipped,  seated  on  his  golden  barge,  and  surrounded  by  a 
fleet  of  golden  war-boats,  one  of  which  was  instantly  dis- 
patched from  the  other  side  of  the  river  to  hail  us,  and  make 
all  necessary  inquiries.  We  were  allowed  to  proceed  quietly 
on,  when  we  had  informed  the  messenger  that  we  were 
Americans,  not  English,  and  were  going  to  Ava  in  obedience 
to  the  command  of  his  majesty. 

*'  On  our  arrival  at  the  capital,  we  found  that  Dr.  Price  was 
out  of  favor  at  court,  and  that  suspicion  rested  on  most  of 
the  foreigners  then  at  Ava.  Your  brother  visited  at  the 
palace  two  or  three  times,  but  found  the  king's  manner 
toward  him  very  different  from  what  it  formerly  had  been  ; 
and  the  queen,  who  had  hitherto  expressed  wishes  for  my 
speedy  arrival,  now  made  no  inquiries  after  me,  nor  intimated 
a  wish  to  see  me.  Consequently,  I  made  no  effort  to  visit  at 
the  palace,  though  almost  daily  invited  to  visit  some  of  the 
branches    of   the    royal    family,    who    were    living    in    their 


2  28  THE  LIFE  OF  4D0NIRAM  JUDSON. 

own  houses,  out  of  the  palace  enclosure.  Under  these 
circumstances,  we  thought  our  most  prudent  course  lay  in 
prosecuting  our  original  intention  of  building  a  house,  and 
commencing  missionary  operations  as  occasions  offered,  thus 
endeavoring  to  convince  the  Government  that  we  had  really 
nothing  to  do  with  the  present  war. 

"  In  two  or  three  weeks  after  our  arrival,  the  king,  queen, 
all  the  members  of  the  royal  family,  and  most  of  the  officers 
of  Government,  returned  to  Amarapoora,  in  order  to  come 
and  take  possession  of  the  new  palace  in  the  customary  style. 
As  there  has  been  much  misunderstanding  relative  to  Ava 
and  Amarapoora,  both  being  called  the  capital  of  the  Bur- 
mese empire,  I  will  here  remark  that  the  present  Ava  was 
formerly  the  seat  of  Government ;  but  soon  after  the  old  king 
had  ascended  the  throne,  it  was  forsaken,  and  a  new  palace 
built  at  Amarapoora,  about  six  miles  from  Ava,  in  which  he 
remained  during  his  life.  In  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign  of 
the  present  king,  Amarapoora  was  in  its  turn  forsaken,  and  a 
new  and  beautiful  palace  built  at  Ava,  which  was  then  in 
ruins,  but  is  noiv  the  capital  oi  the  Burmese  empire.  The  king 
and  royal  family  had  been  living  in  temporary  buildings  at 
Ava,  during  the  completion  of  the  new  palace,  which  gave 
occasion  for  their  returning  to  Amarapoora. 

"For  several  weeks  nothing  took  place  to  alarm  us,  and  we 
went  on  with  our  school.  Mr.  Judson  preached  every  Sab- 
bath ;  all  the  materials  for  building  a  brick  house  were  pro- 
cured, and  the  masons  had  made  considerable  progress  in 
raising  the  building. 

"  On  the  23d  of  May,  1824,  just  as  we  had  concluded  worship 
at  the  doctor's  house,  the  other  side  of  the  river,  a  messenger 
came  to  inform  us  that  Rangoon  was  taken  by  the  English. 
The  intelligence  produced  a  shock,  in  which  was  a  mixture  of 
fear  and  joy.  Mr.  Gouger,  a  young  merchant  residing  at 
Ava,  was  then  with  us,  and  had  much  more  reason  to  fear 
than  the  rest  of  us.  We  all,  however,  immediately  returned 
to  our  house,  and  began  to  consider  what  was  to  be  done. 
Mr.  G.  went  to  Prince  Thah-ya-wa-dee,  the  king's  most  in- 
fluential brother,  who  informed  him  he  need  not  give  himself 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA. 


229 


any  uneasiness,  as  he  had  mentioned  the  subject  to  his 
majesty,  who  had  replied,  that  'the  few  foreigners  residing 
at  Ava  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  war,  and  should  not  be 
molested.' 

"  The  Government  were  now  all  in  motion.  An  army  of 
ten  or  twelve  thousand  men,  under  the  command  of  the  kyee- 
woon-gyee,  were  sent  off  in  three  or  four  days,  and  were  to 
be  joined  by  the  sakyah-woon-gyee,  who  had  previously  been 
appointed  viceroy  of  Rangoon,  and  who  was  on  his  way 
thither  when  the  news  of  its  attack  reached  him.  No  doubt 
was  entertained  of  the  defeat  of  the  English  ;  the  only  fear 
of  the  king  was,  that  the  foreigners,  hearing  of  the  advance 
of  the  Burmese  troops,  would  be  so  alarmed  as  to  flee  on 
board  their  ships  and  depart,  before  there  would  be  time  to 
secure  them  as  slaves.  '  Bring  for  me,'  said  a  wild  young 
buck  of  the  palace,  'six  kala-pyoos  [white  strangers]  to  row 
my  boat.'  'And  to  me,'  said  the  lady  of  a  woon-gyee,  'send 
four  white  strangers  to  manage  the  affairs  of  my  house,  as  I 
understand  they  are  trusty  servants.'  The  war-boats,  in  high 
glee,  passed  our  house,  the  soldiers  singing  and  dancing, 
and  exhibiting  gestures  of  the  most  joyous  kind.  '  Poor 
fellows!'  said  we,  'you  will  probably  never  dance  again.' 
And  it  so  proved,  for  few,  if  any,  ever  again  saw  their  native 
home. 

"As  soon  as  the  army  were  dispatched,  the  Government 
began  to  inquire  the  cause  of  the  arrival  of  the  strangers  at 
Rangoon.  There  must  be  spies  in  the  country,  suggested 
some,  who  had  invited  them  over.  And  who  so  likely  to  be 
spies  as  the  Englishmen  residing  at  Ava  ?  A  report  was  in 
circulation  that  Captain  Laird,  lately  arrived,  had  brought 
Bengal  papers  which  contained  the  intention  of  the  English 
to  take  Rangoon,  and  it  was  kept  a  secret  from  his  majesty. 
An  inquiry  was  instituted.  The  three  Englishmen,  Gouger, 
Laird,  and  Rogers,  were  called  and  examined.  It  was  found 
they  had  seen  the  papers,  and  were  put  in  confinement,  though 
not  in  prison.  We  now  began  to  tremble  for  ourselves,  and 
were  in  daily  expectation  of  some  dreadful  event. 

"At  length  Mr.  Judson  and  Dr.  Price  were  summoned  to 


230  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

a  court  of  examination,  where  strict  inquiry  was  made  rela- 
tive to  all  they  knew.  The  great  point  seemed  to  be  whether 
they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  making  communications  to 
foreigners  of  the  state  of  the  country,  etc.  They  answered, 
they  had  always  written  to  their  friends  in  America,  but  had 
no  correspondence  with  English  officers,  or  the  Bengal 
Government.  After  their  examination  they  were  not  put  in 
confinement,  as  the  Englishmen  had  been,  but  were  allowed 
to  return  to  their  houses.  In  examining  the  accounts  of  Mr. 
Gouger,  it  was  found  that  Mr.  Judson  and  Dr.  Price  had 
taken  money  of  him  to  a  considerable  amount.  Ignorant  as 
were  the  Burmese  of  our  mode  of  receiving  money  by  orders 
on  Bengal,  this  circumstance,  to  their  suspicious  minds,  was 
a  sufficient  evidence  that  the  missionaries  were  in  the  pay  of 
the  English,  and  very  probably  spies.  It  was  thus  repre- 
sented to  the  king,  who,  in  an  angry  tone,  ordered  the  im- 
mediate arrest  of  the  'two  teachers.' 

"  On  the  8th  of  June,  just  as  we  were  preparing  for  dinner, 
in  rushed  an  officer,  holding  a  black  book,  with  a  dozen  Bur- 
mans,  accompanied  by  one,  whom,  from  his  spotted  face,  we 
knew  to  be  an  executioner,  and  a  '  son  of  the  prison.'  'Where 
is  the  teacher?'  was  the  first  inquiry.  Mr.  Judson  presented 
himself.  'You  are  called  by  the  king,'  said  the  officer — a 
form  of  speech  always  used  when  about  to  arrest  a  criminal. 
The  spotted  man  instantly  seized  Mr.  Judson,  threw  him  on 
the  floor,  and  produced  the  small  cord,  the  instrument  of 
torture.  I  caught  hold  of  his  arm.  'Stay,'  said  I;  'I  will 
give  you  money.'  'Take  her  too,'  said  the  officer  ;  'she  also 
is  a  foreigner.'  Mr.  Judson,  with  an  imploring  look,  begged 
they  would  let  me  remain  till.further  orders.  The  scene  was 
now  shocking  beyond  description.  The  whole  neighborhood 
had  collected  ;  the  masons  at  work  on  the  brick  house  threw 
down  their  tools,  and  ran  ;  the  little  Burman  children  were 
screaming  and  crying  ;  the  Bengalee  servants  stood  in  amaze- 
ment at  the  indignities  offered  their  master  ;  and  the  hard- 
ened executioner,  with  a  kind  of  hellish  joy,  drew  tight  the 
cords,  bound  Mr.  Judson  fast,  and  dragged  him  off  I  knew 
not  whither.     In  vain  I  begged  and  entreated  the  spotted 


LIFE  IX  A  VA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA. 


23T 


face  to  take  the  silver,  and  loosen  the  ropes  ;  but  he  spurned 
my  offers,  and  immediately  departed.  I  gave  the  money, 
however,  to  Moung  Ing  to  follow  after,  to  make  some  further 
attempt  to  mitigate  the  torture  of  Mr.  Judson  ;  but  instead 
of  succeeding,  when  a  few  rods  from  the  house,  the  unfeeling 
wretches  again  threw  their  prisoner  on  the  ground,  and  drew 
the  cords  still  tighter,  so  as  almost  to  prevent  respiration. 

"The  officer  and  his  gang  proceeded  on  to  the  court-house, 
where  the  governor  of  the  city  and  officers  were  collected, 
one  of  whom  read  the  order  of  the  king  to  commit  Mr.  Jud- 
son to  the  death-prison,  into  which  he  was  soon  hurled,  the 
door  closed,  and  Moung  Ing  saw  no  more.  What  a  night  was 
now  before  me  !  1  retired  into  my  room,  and  endeavored  to 
obtain  consolation  from  committing  my  case  to  God,  and  im- 
ploring fortitude  and  strength  to  suffer  whatever  awaited  me. 
But  the  consolation  of  retirement  was  not  long  allowed  me, 
for  the  magistrate  of  the  place  had  come  into  the  veranda, 
and  continually  called  me  to  come  out,  and  submit  to  his  ex- 
amination. But  previously  to  going  out,  I  destroyed  all  my 
letters,  journals,  and  writings  of  every  kind,  lest  they  should 
disclose  the  fact  that  we  had  correspondents  in  England,  and 
had  minuted  down  every  occurrence  since  our  arrival  in  the 
country.  When  this  work  of  destruction  was  finished,  I  went 
out,  and  submitted  to  the  examination  of  the  magistrate,  who 
inquired  very  minutely  of  everj^thing  I  knew  ;  then  ordered 
the  gates  of  the  compound  to  be  shut,  no  person  to  be  allowed 
to  go  in  or  out,  placed  a  guard  of  ten  ruffians,  to  whom  he  gave 
a  strict  charge  to  keep  me  safe,  and  departed. 

"  It  was  now  dark.  I  retired  to  an  inner  room  with  my 
four  little  Burman  girls,  and  barred  the  doors.  The  guard 
instantly  ordered  me  to  unbar  the  doors  and  come  out,  or 
they  would  break  the  house  down.  I  obstinately  refused  to 
obey,  and  endeavored  to  intimidate  them  by  threatening  to 
complain  of  their  conduct  to  higher  authorities  on  the  mor- 
row. Finding  me  resolved  in  disregarding  their  orders,  they 
took  the  two  Bengalee  servants,  and  confined  them  in  the 
stocks  in  a  very  painful  position.  I  could  not  endure  this, 
but  called  the  head  man   to  the  window,  and  promised   to 


232  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOy. 

make  them  all  a  present  in  the  morning,  if  they  would  release 
the  servants.  After  much  debate,  and  many  severe  threaten- 
ings,  they  consented,  but  seemed  resolved  to  annoy  me  as 
much  as  possible.  My  unprotected,  desolate  state,  my  entire 
uncertainty  of  the  fate  of  Mr.  Judson,  and  the  dreadful 
carousings  and  almost  diabolical  language  of  the  guard,  all 
conspired  to  make  it  by  far  the  most  distressing  night  I  had 
ever  passed.  You  may  well  imagine,  my  dear  brother,  that 
sleep  was  a  stranger  to  my  eyes,  and  peace  and  composure 
to  my  mind. 

'  The  next  morning  I  sent  Moung  Ing  to  ascertain  the  situ- 
ation of  your  brother,  and  give  him  food,  if  still  living.  He 
soon  returned,  with  the  intelligence  that  Mr.  Judson  and  all 
the  white  foreigners  were  confined  in  the  death-prison,  with 
three  pairs  of  iron  fetters  each,  and  fastened  to  a  long  pole, 
to  prevent  their  moving  !  The  point  of  my  anguish  now  was, 
that  I  was  a  prisoner  myself,  and  could  make  no  efforts  for 
the  release  of  the  missionaries.  I  begged  and  entreated  the 
magistrate  to  allow  me  to  go  to  some  member  of  Government 
to  state  my  case  ;  but  he  said  he  did  not  dare  to  consent,  for 
fear  I  should  make  my  escape.  I  next  wrote  a  note  to  one 
of  the  king's  sisters,  with  whom  I  had  been  intimate,  request- 
ing her  to  use  her  influence  for  the  release  of  the  teachers. 
The  note  was  returned,  with  this  message  :  she  '  did  not 
understand  it';  which  was  a  polite  refusal  to  interfere  ; 
though  I  afterward  ascertained  that  she  had  an  anxious  de- 
sire to  assist  us,  but  dared  not,  on  account  of  the  queen.  The 
day  dragged  heavily  away,  and  another  dreadful  night  was 
before  me.  I  endeavored  to  soften  the  feelings  of  the  guard 
by  giving  them  tea  and  cigars  for  the  night ;  so  that  they 
allowed  me  to  remain  inside  of  my  room  without  threaten- 
ing, as  they  did  the  night  before.  But  the  idea  of  your 
brother  being  stretched  on  the  bare  floor,  in  irons  and  con- 
finement, haunted  my  mind  like  a  spectre,  and  prevented  my 
obtaining  any  quiet  sleep,  though  nature  was  almost  ex- 
hausted. 

"  On  the  third  day  I  sent  a  message  to  the  governor  of  the 
city,  who  has  the  entire  direction  of  prison  affairs,  to  allow 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  QUNG- PEN-LA.  233 

me  to  visit  him  with  a  present.  This  had  the  desired  effect, 
and  he  immediately  sent  orders  to  the  guards  to  permit  my 
going  into  town.  The  governor  received  me  pleasantly,  and 
asked  me  what  I  wanted  I  stated  to  him  the  situation  of 
the  foreigners,  and  particularly  that  of  the  teachers,  who 
were  Americans,  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  war.  He 
told  me  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  release  them  from  prison 
or  irons,  but  that  he  could  make  their  situation  more  com- 
fortable ;  there  was  his  head  officer,  with  whom  I  must  con- 
sult relative  to  the  means.  The  officer,  who  proved  to  be 
one  of  the  city  writers,  and  whose  countenance  at  the  first 
glance  presented  the  most  perfect  assemblage  of  all  the  evil 
passions  attached  to  human  nature,  took  me  aside  and  en- 
deavored to  convince  me  that  myself,  as  well  as  the  prison- 
ers, was  entirely  at  his  disposal ;  that  our  future  comfort 
must  depend  on  my  liberality  in  regard  to  presents  ;  and  that 
these  must  be  made  in  a  private  way,  and  unknown  to  any 
officer  in  the  Government!  'What  must  I  do,' said  I,  'to 
obtain  a  mitigation  of  the  present  sufferings  of  the  two 
teachers  ? '  '  Pay  to  me,'  said  he,  *  two  hundred  ticals  [about 
a  hundred  dollars],  two  pieces  of  fine  cloth,  and  two  pieces 
of  handkerchiefs.'  I  had  taken  money  with  me  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  our  house  being  two  miles  from  the  prison,  I  could  not 
easily  return.  This  I  offered  to  the  writer,  and  begged  he 
would  not  insist  on  the  other  articles,  as  they  were  not  in  my 
possession.  He  hesitated  for  some  time  ;  but  fearing  to  lose 
the  sight  of  so  much  money,  he  concluded  to  take  it,  promis- 
ing to  relieve  the  teachers  from  their  most  painful  situation. 
"  I  then  procured  an  order  from  the  governor  for  my  ad- 
mittance into  prison  ;  but  the  sensations  produced  by  meet- 
ing your  brother,  in  that  wretched,  horrid  situation,  and  the 
affecting  scene  which  ensued,  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe.* 


*  Mr.  Gouger,  a  fellow-prisoner  with  Mr.  Judson,  thus  describes  this  pathetic  meet. 
Ing  :  "  It  so  happened,  that  at  the  moment  of  their  interview  outside  the  wicket-door,  I 
had  to  hobble  to  the  spot  to  receive  my  daily  bundle  of  provisions,  and  the  heart-rend- 
ing scene  which  I  there  beheld  was  one  that  it  is  impossible  to  forget.  Poor  Judson 
was  fastidiously  neat  and  cleanly  in  his  person  and  apparel,  just  the  man  to  depict 
the  metamorphosis  he  had  undergone  in  these  two  wretched  days  in  its  strongest  con- 
trast.    When  Mrs.  Judson  had  parted  from  him  he  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  these 


2  34  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Mr.  Judson  crawled  to  the  door  of  the  prison — for  I  was  never 
allowed  to  enter — gave  me  some  directions  relative  to  his 
release  ;  but  before  we  could  make  any  arrangement,  I  was 
ordered  to  depart  by  those  iron-hearted  jailers,  who  could 
not  endure  to  see  us  enjoy  the  poor  consolation  of  meeting 
in  that  miserable  place.  In  vain  I  pleaded  the  order  from 
the  governor  for  my  admittance  ;  they  again  harshly  repeated, 
'■  Depart,  or  we  will  pull  you  out.'  The  same  evening  the 
missionaries,  together  with  the  other  foreigners,  who  paid  an 
equal  sum,  were  taken  out  of  the  common  prison,  and  con- 
fined in  an  open  shed  in  the  prison  enclosure.  Here  I  was 
allowed  to  send  them  food,  and  mats  to  sleep  on,  but  was  not 
permitted  to  enter  again  for  several  days. 

"  My  next  object  was  to  get  a  petition  presented  to  the 
queen  ;  but  no  person  being  admitted  into  the  palace  who 
was  in  disgrace  with  his  majesty,  I  sought  to  present  it 
through  the  medium  of  her  brother's  wife.  I  had  visited  her 
in  better  days,  and  received  particular  marks  of  her  favor. 
But  now  times  were  altered  ;  Mr.  Judson  was  in  prison,  and 
I  in  distress,  which  was  a  sufficient  reason  for  giving  me  a 
cold  reception.  I  took  a  present  of  considerable  value.  She 
was  lolling  on  her  carpet  as  I  entered,  with  her  attendants 
around  her.  I  waited  not  for  the  usual  question  to  a  suppliant, 
'What  do  you  want?'  but  in  a  bold,  earnest,  yet  respectful 
manner,  stated  our  distresses  and  our  wrongs,  and  begged 
her  assistance.  She  partly  raised  her  head,  opened  the  present 
I  had  brought,  and  coolly  replied,  '  Your  case  is  not  singular  ; 
all  the  foreigners  are  treated  alike.'  '  But  it  is  singular,'  said 
I;  'the  teachers  are  Americans;  they  are  ministers  of  re- 
ligion, have  nothing  to  do  with  war  or  politics,  and  came  to 


jjersonal  comforts,  whereas  now  none  but  an  artist  could  describe  his  appearance. 
Two  nights  of  restless  torture  of  body  and  anxiety  of  mind  had  imparted  to  his  coun- 
tenance a  haggard  and  death-like  expression,  while  it  would  be  hardly  decent  to  advert 
in  more  than  general  terms  to  his  begrimed  and  impure  exterior.  No  wonder  his 
wretched  wife,  shocked  at  the  change,  hid  her  face  in  her  hands,  over%vhelmed  with 
grief,  hardly  daring  to  trust  herself  to  look  upon  him.  Perhaps  the  part  I  myself  sus- 
tained in  the  picture  may  have  helped  to  rivet  it  on  my  memory,  for  though  more 
than  thirty-five  years  have  since  passed  away,  it  reverts  to  me  with  all  the  freshness  of 
a  scene  of  yesterday." 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-r EN-LA.  235 

Ava  in  obedience  to  the  king's  command.  They  have  nevei 
done  anything  to  deserve  such  treatment,  and  is  it  right  they 
should  be  treated  thus  ?'  'The  king  does  as  he  pleases,'  said 
she  ;  '  I  am  not  the  king  ;  what  can  I  do  ? '  '  You  can  state 
their  case  to  the  queen,  and  obtain  their  release,'  replied  I. 
*  Place  yourself  in  my  situation  ;  were  you  in  America,  your 
husband,  innocent  of  crime,  thrown  into  prison,  in  irons,  and 
3'ou  a  solitary,  unprotected  female,  what  would  you  do  ? ' 
With  a  slight  degree  of  feeling,  she  said,  'I  will  present  your 
petition  ;  come  again  to-morrow.'  I  returned  to  the  house 
with  considerable  hope  that  the  speedy  release  of  the  mis- 
sionaries was  at  hand.  But  the  next  day,  Mr.  Gouger's 
property,  to  the  amount  of  fifty  thousand  rupees,  was  taken 
and  carried  to  the  palace.  The  officers,  on  their  return, 
politely  informed  me  they  should  visit  our  house  on  the  mor- 
row. I  felt  obliged  for  this  information,  and  accordingly 
made  preparations  to  receive  them,  by  secreting  as  many 
little  articles  as  possible,  together  with  considerable  silver, 
as  I  knew,  if  the  war  should  be  protracted,  we  should  be  in  a 
state  of  starvation  without  it.  But  my  mind  was  in  a  dread- 
ful state  of  agitation  lest  it  should  be  discovered,  and  cause 
my  being  thrown  into  prison.  And  had  it  been  possible  to 
procure  money  from  any  other  quarter,  I  should  not  have 
ventured  on  such  a  step. 

"  The  following  morning,  the  royal  treasurer,  the  governor 
of  the  north  gate  of  the  palace,  who  was  in  future  our  steady 
friend,  and  another  nobleman,  attended  by  forty  or  fifty  fol- 
lowers, came  to  take  possession  of  all  we  had.  I  treated  them 
civilly,  gave  them  chairs  to  sit  on,  tea  and  sweetmeats  for 
their  refreshment ;  and  justice  obliges  me  to  say  that  they 
conducted  the  business  of  confiscation  with  more  regard  to 
my  feelings  than  I  should  have  thought  it  possible  for  Bur- 
mese officers  to  exhibit.  The  three  officers,  with  one  of  the 
royal  secretaries,  alone  entered  the  house  ;  their  attendants 
were  ordered  to  remain  outside.  They  saw  I  was  deeply 
affected,  and  apologized  for  what  they  were  about  to  do  by 
saying  it  was  painful  for  them  to  take  possession  of  prop- 
erty not  their  own,  but  they  were  compelled  thus  to  do  by 


236  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

order  of  the  king.  '  Where  are  your  silver,  gold,  and  jewels  ? ' 
said  the  royal  treasurer.  *  I  have  no  gold  or  jewels  ;  but 
here  is  the  key  of  a  trunk  which  contains  the  silver  ;  do  with 
it  as  you  please.'  The  trunk  was  produced,  and  the  silver 
weighed.  'This  money,'  said  I,  '  was  collected  in  America 
by  the  disciples  of  Christ,  and  sent  here  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  kyoung  [the  name  of  a  priest's  dwelling],  and  for 
our  support  while  teaching  the  religion  of  Christ.  Is  it  suit- 
able that  you  should  take  it  ? '  The  Burmese  are  averse  to 
taking  what  is  offered  in  a  religious  point  of  view,  which  was 
the  cause  of  my  making  the  inquiry.  'We  will  state  this  cir- 
cumstance to  the  king,'  said  one  of  them,  *  and  perhaps  he 
will  restore  it.  But  is  this  all  the  silver  you  have?'  I  could 
not  tell  a  falsehood.  '  The  house  is  in  your  possession,'  I 
replied  ;  *  search  for  yourselves.'  '  Have  you  not  deposited 
silver  with  some  person  of  your  acquaintance  ? '  '  My  ac- 
quaintances are  all  in  prison  ;  with  whom  should  I  deposit 
silver?'  They  next  ordered  my  trunk  and  drawers  to  be 
examined.  The  secretary  only  was  allowed  to  accompany 
me  in  this  search.  Everything  nice  or  curious  which  met 
his  view  was  presented  to  the  officers  for  their  decision 
whether  it  should  be  taken  or  retained.  I  begged  they  would 
not  take  our  wearing  apparel,  as  it  would  be  disgraceful  to 
take  clothes  partly  worn  into  the  possession  of  his  majesty, 
and  to  us  they  were  of  unspeakable  value.  They  assented, 
and  took  a  list  only,  and  did  the  same  with  the  books,  medi- 
cines, etc.  My  little  work-table  and  rocking-chair,  presents 
from  my  beloved  brother,  I  rescued  from  their  grasp,  partly 
by  artifice  and  partly  through  their  ignorance.  They  left, 
also,  many  articles  which  were  of  inestimable  value  during 
our  long  imprisonment. 

"As  soon  as  they  had  finished  their  search  and  departed, 
I  hastened  to  the  queen's  brother  to  hear  what  had  been  the 
fate  of  my  petition,  when,  alas  !  all  my  hopes  were  dashed 
by  his  wife's  coolly  saying,  '  I  stated  your  case  to  the  queen, 
but  her  majesty  replied,  "  The  teachers  will  not  die ;  let  them 
remain  as  they  are."  '  My  expectations  had  been  so  much  ex- 
cited, that  this  sentence  was  like  a  thunder-clap  to  my  feel- 


LIFE  IX  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA. 


~Z1 


ings.  For  the  truth  at  one  glance  assured  me  that  if  the 
queen  refused  assistance,  who  would  dare  to  intercede  for 
me  ?  With  a  heavy  heart  I  departed,  and  on  my  way  home 
attempted  to  enter  the  prison-gate  to  communicate  the  sad 
tidings  to  your  brother,  but  was  harshly  refused  admittance  ; 
and  for  the  ten  days  following,,  notwithstanding  my  daily 
efforts,  I  was  not  allowed  to  enter.  We  attempted  to  com- 
municate by  writing,  and  after  being  successful  for  a  few 
days,  it  was  discovered  ;  the  poor  fellow  who  carried  the 
communications  was  beaten  and  put  in  the  stocks,  and  the 
circumstance  cost  me  about  ten  dollars,  besides  two  or  three 
days  of  agony  for  fear  of  the  consequences. 

"  The  officers  who  had  taken  possession  of  our  property 
presented  it  to  his  majesty,  saying,  '  Judson  is  a  true  teacher  ; 
we  found  nothing  in  his  house  but  what  belongs  to  priests. 
In  addition  to  this  money  there  are  an  immense  number  of 
books,  medicines,  trunks  of  wearing  apparel,  etc.,  of  which 
we  have  only  taken  a  list.  Shall  we  take  them  or  let  them 
remain?'  'Let  them  remain,'  said  the  king,  'and  put  this 
property  by  itself,  for  it  shall  be  restored  to  him  again  if  he 
is  found  innocent.'  This  was  in  allusion  to  the  idea  of  his 
being  a  spy. 

"For  two  or  three  months  following,  I  was  subject  to  con- 
tinual harassments,  partly  through  my  ignorance  of  police 
management,  and  partly  through  the  insatiable  desire  of 
every  petty  officer  to  enrich  himself  through  our  misfortune?. 
When  the  officers  came  to  our  house  to  confiscate  our  prop- 
erty, they  insisted  on  knowing  how  much  I  had  given  the 
governor  and  prison  officers  to  release  the  teachers  from  the 
inner  prison.  I  honestly  told  them,  and  they  demanded  the 
sum  from  the  governor,  which  threw  him  into  a  dreadful 
rage,  and  he  threatened  to  put  all  the  prisoners  back  into 
their  original  place.  I  went  to  him  the  next  morning,  and 
the  first  words  with  which  he  accosted  me  were,  '  You  are 
very  bad  ;  why  did  you  tell  the  royal  treasurer  that  you  had 
given  me  so  much  money  ? '  '  The  treasurer  inquired  ;  what 
could  I  say?'  I  replied.  'Say  that  you  had  given  nothing,' 
said  he,  '  and  I  would  have  made  the  teachers  comfortable 


238  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOK. 

in  prison  ;  but  now  I  know  not  what  will  be  their  fate.'  '  Bui 
I  can  not  tell  a  falsehood,'  I  replied;  'my  religion  differs 
from  yours  ;  it  forbids  prevarication  ;  and  had  you  stood  by 
me  with  your  knife  raised,  I  could  not  have  said  what  you 
suggest.'  His  wife,  who  sat  by  his  side,  and  who  always,  from 
this  time,  continued  my  firm  friend,  instantly  said,  'Very 
true  ;  what  else  could  she  have  done  ?  I  like  such  straight- 
forward conduct ;  you  must  not,'  turning  to  the  governor, 
'be  angry  Avith  her.'  I  then  presented  the  governor  with  a 
beautiful  opera-glass  I  had  just  received  from  England,  and 
begged  his  anger  at  me  would  not  influence  him  to  treat  the 
prisoners  with  unkindness,  and  I  would  endeavor,  from  time 
to  time,  to  make  him  such  presents  as  would  compensate  for 
his  loss.  '  You  may  intercede  for  your  husband  only  ;  for 
your  sake  he  shall  remain  where  he  is  ;  but  let  the  other 
prisoners  take  care  of  themselves.'  I  pleaded  hard  for  Dr. 
Price  ;  but  he  would  not  listen,  and;  the  same  day,  had  him 
returned  to  the  inner  prison,  where  he  remained  ten  days. 
He  was  then  taken  out,  in  consequence  of  the  doctor's  prom- 
ising a  piece  of  broadcloth,  and  my  sending  two  pieces  of 
handkerchiefs. 

"About  this  period  I  was  one  day  summoned  to  the  Lut- 
d'hau  in  an  official  way.  What  new  evil  was  before  me  I 
knew  not,  but  was  obliged  to  go.  When  arrived,  1  was 
allowed  to  stand  diX.  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,  as  no  female  is 
permitted  to  ascend  the  steps,  or  even  to  stand,  but  sit  on 
the  ground.  Hundreds  were  collected  around.  The  officer 
who  presided,  in  an  authoritative  voice  began  :  '  Speak  the 
truth  in  answer  to  the  questions  I  shall  ask.  If  you  speak 
true,  no  evil  will  follow  ;  but  if  not,  your  life  will  not  be 
spared.  It  is  reported  that  you  have  committed  to  the  care 
of  a  Burmese  officer  a  string  of  pearls,  a  pair  of  diamond 
earrings,  and  a  silver  teapot.  Is  it  true  ? '  '  It  is  not,'  I  re- 
plied ;  'and  if  you  or  any  other  person  can  produce  these 
articles,  I  refuse  not  to  die.'  The  officer  again  urged  the 
necessity  of  '  speaking  true.'  I  told  him  I  had  nothing  more 
to  say  on  the  subject,  but  begged  he  would  use  his  influence 
to  obtain  the  release  of  Mr.  Judson  from  prison. 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG- PEN-LA.  239 

"I  returned  to  the  house  with  a  heart  much  lighter  than  I 
went,  though  conscious  of  my  perpetual  exposure  to  such 
harassments.  Notwithstanding  the  repulse  I  had  met  in  my 
application  to  the  queen,  I  could  not  remain  without  making 
continual  efforts  for  your  brother's  release,  while  there  was 
the  least  probability  of  success.  Time  after  time  my  visits 
to  the  queen's  sister-in-law  were  repeated,  till  she  refused  to 
answer  a  question,  and  told  me  by  her  looks  I  had  better 
keep  out  of  her  presence.  For  the  seven  following  months, 
hardly  a  day  passed  that  I  did  not  visit  some  one  of  the 
members  of  Government,  or  branches  of  the  royal  family,  in 
order  to  gain  their  influence  in  our  behalf  ;  but  the  only 
benefit  resulting  was,  their  encouraging  promises  preserved 
us  from  despair,  and  induced  a  hope  of  the  speedy  termina- 
tion of  our  difficulties,  which  enabled  us  to  bear  our  dis- 
tresses better  than  we  otherwise  should  have  done.  I  ought, 
however,  to  mention  that,  by  my  repeated  visits  to  the  dif- 
ferent members  of  Government,  I  gained  several  friends, 
who  were  ready  to  assist  me  with  articles  of  food,  though  in 
a  private  manner,  and  who  used  their  influence  in  the  palace 
to  destroy  the  impression  of  our  being  in  any  way  engaged 
in  the  present  war.  But  no  one  dared  to  speak  a  word  to 
the  king  or  queen  in  favor  of  a  foreigner  while  there  were 
such  continual  reports  of  the  success  of  the  English  arms. 

"During  these  seven  months,  the  continual  extortions  and 
oppressions  to  which  your  brother  and  the  other  white  pris- 
oners were  subject  are  indescribable.  Sometimes  sums  of 
money  were  demanded,  sometimes  pieces  of  cloth  and. hand- 
kerchiefs ;  at  other  times  an  order  would  be  issued  that  the 
white  foreigners  should  not  speak  to  each  other,  or  have  any 
communication  with  their  friends  without.  Then,  again,  the 
servants-  were  forbidden  to  carry  in  their  food  without  an 
extra  fee.  Sometimes,  for  days  and  days  together,  I  could 
not  go  into  the  prison  till  after  dark,  when  I  had  two  miles 
to  walk  in  returning  to  the  house.  O,  how  many,  many 
times  have  I  returned  from  that  dreary  prison  at  nine  o'clock 
at  night,  solitary,  and  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  anxiety, 
and  thrown  myself  down  in  that  same  rocking-chair  which 


240  ^^^  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

you  and  Deacon  L.  provided  for  me  in  Boston,  and  endeav- 
ored to  invent  some  new  scheme  for  the  release  of  the  pris- 
oners. Sometimes,  for  a  moment  or  two,  my  thoughts  would 
glance  toward  America,  and  my  beloved  friends  there  ;  but 
for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half,  so  entirely  engrossed  was  every 
thought  with  present  scenes  and  sufferings,  that  I  seldom 
reflected  on  a  single  occurrence  of  my  former  life,  or  recol- 
lected that  I  had  a  friend  in  existence  out  of  Ava. 

"  The  war  was  now  prosecuted  with  all  the  energy  the 
Burmese  Government  possessed.  New  troops  were  continu- 
ally raised  and  sent  down  the  river,  and  as  frequent  reports 
returned  of  their  being  all  cut  off.  But  that  part  of  the  Bur- 
mese army  stationed  in  Arracan,  under  the  command  of  Ban- 
doola,  had  been  more  successful.  Three  hundred  prisoners, 
at  one  time,  were  sent  to  the  capital,  as  an  evidence  of  the 
victory  that  had  been  gained.  The  king  began  to  think  that 
none  but  Bandoola  understood  the  art  of  fighting  with  for- 
eigners ;  consequently,  his  majesty  recalled  him,  with  the 
design  of  his  taking  command  of  the  army  that  had  been  sent 
to  Rangoon.  On  his  arrival  at  Ava,  he  was  received  at  court 
in  the  most  flattering  manner,  and  was  the  recipient  of  every 
favor  in  the  power  of  the  king  and  queen  to  bestow.  He 
was,  in  fact,  while  at  Ava,  the  acting  king.  I  was  resolved 
to  apply  to  him  for  the  release  of  the  missionaries,  though 
some  members  of  Government  advised  me  not,  lest  he, 
being  reminded  of  their  existence,  should  issue  an  immediate 
order  for  their  execution.  But  it  was  my  last  hope,  and,  as 
it  proved,  my  last  application. 

"  Your  brother  wrote  a  petition  privately,  stating  every  cir- 
cumstance that  would  have  a  tendency  to  interest  him  in  our 
behalf.  With  fear  and  trembling  I  approached  him,  while 
surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  flatterers  ;  and  one  of  his  secreta- 
ries took  the  petition,  and  read  it  aloud.  After  hearing  it,  he 
spoke  to  me  in  an  obliging  manner,  asked  several  questions 
relative  to  the  teachers,  said  he  would  think  of  the  subject, 
and  bade  me  come  again.  I  ran  to  the  prison  to  communi- 
cate the  favorable  reception  to  Mr.  Judson  ;  and  we  both  had 
sanguine  hopes  that  his  release  was  at  hand.     But  the  gov- 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA.  241 

ernor  of  the  city  expressed  his  amazement  at  my  temerity, 
and  said  he  doubted  not  it  would  be  the  means  of  destroying 
all  the  prisoners.  In  a  day  or  two,  however,  I  went  again, 
and  took  a  present  of  considerable  value.  Bandoolawas  not 
at  home,  but  his  lady,  after  ordering  the  present  to  be  taken 
into  another  room,  modestly  informed  me  that  she  was  or- 
dered by  her  husband  to  make  the  following  communication  : 
that  he  was  now  very  busily  employed  in  making  prepara- 
tions for  Rangoon  ;  but  that  when  he  had  retaken  that  place, 
and  expelled  the  English,  he  would  return  and  release  all 
the  prisoners. 

'•'■  Thus,  again,  were  all  our  hopes  dashed  ;  and  we  felt  that 
we  could  do  nothing  more  but  sit  down  and  submit  to  our 
lot.  From  this  time  we  gave  up  all  idea  of  being  released 
from  prison  till  the  termination  of  the  war  ;  but  I  was  still 
obliged  to  visit  constantly  some  of  the  members  of  Government 
with  little  presents,  particularly  the  governor  of  the  city,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  the  situation  of  the  prisoners  toler- 
able. I  generally  spent  the  greater  part  of  every  other  day 
at  the  governor's  house,  giving  him  minute  information  rel- 
ative to  American  manners,  customs,  government,  etc.  He 
used  to  be  so  much  gratified  with  my  communications  as  to 
feel  greatly  disappointed  if  any  occurrence  prevented  my 
spending  the  usual  hours  at  his  house. 

"  Some  months  after  your  brother's  imprisonment,  I  was 
permitted  to  make  a  little  bamboo  room  in  the  prison  en- 
closure, where  he  could  be  much  by  himself,  and  where  I  was 
sometimes  allowed  to  spend  two  or  three  hours.  It  so  hap- 
pened that  the  two  months  he  occupied  this  place  were  the 
coldest  of  the  year,  when  he  would  have  suffered  much  in  the 
open  shed  he  had  previously  occupied.  After  the  birth  of 
your  little  niece,*  I  was  unable  to  visit  the  prison  and  the 
governor  as  before,  and  found  I  had  lost  considerable  influ- 
ence previously  gained  ;  for  he  was  not  so  forward  to  hear 
my  petitions  when  any  difficulty  occurred  as  he  formerly  had 
been.     When   Maria  was  nearly  two  months  old,  her  father 


Maria  Elizabeth  Butterworth  Judson,  who  was  born  in  Ava,  January  26,  1825. 
16 


242  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSOX. 

one  morning  sent  me  word  that  he  and  all  the  white  prison- 
ers were  put  into  the  inner  prison,  in  five  pairs  of  fetters 
each,  that  his  little  room  had  been  torn  down,  and  his  mat, 
pillow,  etc.,  been  taken  by  the  jailers.  This  was  to  me  a 
dreadful  shock,  as  I  thought  at  once  it  was  only  a  prelude  to 
greater  evils. 

"  I  should  have  mentioned  before  this  the  defeat  of  Ban- 
doola,  his  escape  to  Danooyboo,  the  complete  destruction  of 
his  army  and  loss  of  ammunition,  and  the  consternation  this 
intelligence  produced  at  court.  The  English  army  had  left 
Rangoon,  and  were  advancing  toward  Prome.  when  these 
severe  measures  were  taken  with  the  prisoners. 

"I  went  immediately  to  the  governor's  house.  He  was  not 
at  home,  but  had  ordered  his  wife  to  tell  me,  when  I  came, 
not  to  ask  to  have  the  additional  fetters  taken  off  or  the  pris- 
oners released,  for  //  could  not  be  done.  I  went  to  the  prison 
gate,  but  was  forbidden  to  enter.  All  was  as  still  as  death — 
not  a  white  face  to  be  seen,  or  a  vestige  of  Mr.  Judson's  little 
room  remaining.  I  was  determined  to  see  the  governor,  and 
know  the  cause  of  this  additional  oppression,  and  for  this 
purpose  returned  into  town  the  same  evening  at  an  hour 
I  knew  he  would  be  at  home.  He  was  in  his  audience-room, 
and,  as  I  entered,  looked  up  without  speaking,  but  exhibited 
a  mixture  of  shame  and  affected  anger  in  his  countenance. 
I  began  by  saying,  '  Your  lordship  has  hitherto  treated  us 
with  the  kindness  of  a  father.  Our  obligations  to  you  are 
very  great.  We  have  looked  to  you  for  protection  from 
oppression  and  cruelty.  You  have  in  many  instances  miti- 
gated the  sufferings  of  those  unfortunate  though  innocent 
beings  committed  to  your  charge.  You  have  promised  me 
particularly  that  you  would  stand  by  me  to  the  last,  and 
though  you  should  receive  an  order  from  the  king,  you  would 
not  put  Mr.  Judson  to  death.  What  crime  has  he  committed 
to  deserve  such  additional  punishment?'  The  old  man's 
hard  heart  was  melted,  for  he  wept  like  a  child.  '  I  pity  you, 
Tsa-yah-ga-dau  ' — a  name  by  which  he  always  called  me  ;  '  I 
knew  you  would  make  me  feel  ;  I  therefore  forbade  your 
application.     But  you  must  believe  me  when  I  say  I  do  not 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA. 


243 


wish  to  increase  the  sufferings  of  the  prisoners.  When  I  am 
ordered  to  execute  them,  the  least  that  I  can  do  is  to  put 
them  out  of  sight.  I  will  now  tell  you,'  continued  he,  *  what 
1  have  never  told  you  before — that  three  times  I  have  re- 
ceived intimations  from  the  queen's  brother  to  assassinate  all 
the  white  prisoners  privately  ;  but  I  would  not  do  it.  And  I 
now  repeat  it,  though  I  execute  all  the  others,  I  will  never 
execute  your  husband.  But  I  can  not  release  him  from  his 
present  confinement,  and  you  must  not  ask  it.'  I  had  never 
seen  him  manifest  so  much  feeling,  or  so  resolute  in  denying 
me  a  favor,  which  circumstance  was  an  additional  reason 
for  thinking  dreadful  scenes  were  before  us. 

"  The  situation  of  the  prisoners  was  now  distressing  be- 
yond description.  It  was  at  the  commencement  of  the  hot 
season.  There  were  above  a  hundred  prisoners  shut  up  in 
one  room,  without  a  breath  of  air  excepting  from  the  cracks 
in  the  boards.  I  sometimes  obtained  permission  to  go  to  the 
door  for  five  minutes,  when  my  heart  sickened  at  the  wretch- 
edness exhibited.  The  white  prisoners,  from  incessant  per- 
spiration and  loss  of  appetite,  looked  more  like  the  dead  than 
the  living.  I  made  daily  applications  to  the  governor,  offer- 
ing him  money,  which  he  refused  ;  but  all  that  I  gained  was 
permission  for  the  foreigners  to  eat  their  food  outside,  and 
this  continued  but  a  short  time. 

"  It  was  at  this  period  that  the  death  of  Bandoola  was  an- 
nounced in  the  palace.  The  king  heard  it  with  silent  amaze- 
ment, and  the  queen,  in  Eastern  style,  smote  upon  her  breast, 
and  cried,  'Ama!  ama  ! '  (alas!  alas!)  Who  could  be  found 
to  fill  his  place  ?  Who  would  venture,  since  the  invincible 
Bandoola  had  been  cut  off  ?  Such  were  the  exclamations 
constantly  heard  in  the  streets  of  Ava.  The  common  people 
were  speaking  loiv  of  a  rebellion,  in  case  more  troops  should 
be  levied.  For  as  yet  the  common  people  had  borne  the 
weight  of  the  war  ;  not  a  tical  had  been  taken  from  the  royal 
treasury.  At  length  the  pakan-woon,  who  a  few  months  be- 
fore had  been  so  far  disgraced  by  the  king  as  to  be  thrown  into 
prison  and  irons,  now  offered  himself  to  head  a  new  army 
that  should  be  raised  on  a  different  plan  from  those  which 


244  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON/RAM  JUDSON. 

had  hitherto  been  raised,  and  assured  the  king,  in  the  most 
confident  manner,  that  he  would  conquer  the  English,  and 
restore  those  places  that  had  been  taken  in  a  very  short  time. 
He  proposed  that  every  soldier  should  receive  a  hundred 
ticals  in  advance,  and  he  would  obtain  security  for  each  man, 
as  the  money  was  to  pass  through  his  hands.  It  was  after- 
ward found  that  he  had  taken,  for  his  own  use,  ten  ticals 
from  every  hundred.  He  was  a  man  of  enterprise  and  talents, 
though  a  violent  enemy  to  all  foreigners.  His  offers  were 
accepted  by  the  king  and  Government,  and  all  power  imme- 
diately committed  to  him.  One  of  the  first  exercises  of  his 
power  was  to  arrest  Lanciego  and  the  Portuguese  priest,  who 
had  hitherto  remained  unmolested,  and  cast  them  into  prison, 
and  to  subject  the  native  Portuguese  and  Bengalees  to  the 
most  menial  occupations.  The  whole  town  was  in  alarm 
lest  they  should  feel  the  effects  of  his  power  ;  and  it  was 
owing  to  the  malignant  representations  of  this  man,  that  the 
white  prisoners  suffered  such  a  change  in  their  circumstances 
as  I  shall  soon  relate. 

"After  continuing  in  the  inner  prison  for  more  than  a 
month,  your  brother  was  taken  with  a  fever.  I  felt  assured 
he  would  not  live  long,  unless  removed  from  that  noisome 
place.  To  effect  this,  and  in  order  to  be  near  the  prison,  I 
removed  from  our  house,  and  put  up  a  small  bamboo  room 
in  the  governor's  enclosure,  which  was  nearly  opposite  the 
prison  gate.  Here  I  incessantly  begged  the  governor  to  give 
me  an  order  to  take  Mr.  Judson  out  of  the  large  prison,  and 
place  him  in  a  more  comfortable  situation  ;  and  the  old  man, 
being  worn  out  with  my  entreaties,  at  length  gave  me  the 
order  in  an  official  form,  and  also  gave  orders  to  the  head 
jailer  to  allow  me  to  go  in  and  out,  all  times  of  the  day,  to 
administer  medicines,  etc.  I  now  felt  happy  indeed,  and  had 
Mr.  Judson  instantly  removed  into  a  little  bamboo  hovel,  so 
low  that  neither  of  us  could  stand  upright — but  a  palace  in 
comparison  with  the  place  he  had  left. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  order  the  governor  had  given  for 
my  admittance  into  prison,  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  I  could  persuade  the  under-jailer  to  open  the  gate. 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  QUNG-P EN-LA. 


245 


used  to  carry  Mr.  Judson's  food  myself,  for  the  sake  of  get- 
ting in,  and  would  then  remain  an  hour  or  two,  unless  driven 
out.  We  had  been  in  this  comfortable  situation  but  two  or 
three  days,  until,  one  morning,  having  carried  in  Mr.  Judson's 
breakfast,  which,  in  consequence  of  fever,  he  was  unable  to 
take,  I  remained  longer  than  usual,  when  the  governor,  in 
great  haste,  sent  for  me.  I  promised  to  return  as  soon  as  I 
had  ascertained  the  governor's  will,  he  being  much  alarmed 
at  this  unusual  message.  I  was  very  agreeably  disappointed 
when  the  governor  informed  me  that  he  only  wished  to  con- 
sult me  about  his  watch,  and  seemed  unusually  pleasant  and 
conversable.  I  found  afterward  that  his  only  object  was  to 
detain  me  until  the  dreadful  scene  about  to  take  place  in  the 
prison  was  over.  For  when  I  left  him  to  go  to  my  room,  one 
of  the  servants  came  running,  and,  with  a  ghastly  counte- 
nance, informed  me  that  all  the  white  prisoners  were  carried 
away.  I  would  not  believe  the  report,  and  instantly  went 
back  to  the  governor,  who  said  he  had  just  heard  of  it,  but 
did  not  wish  to  tell  me.  I  hastily  ran  into  the  street,  hoping 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  them  before  they  were  out  of  sight,  but 
in  this  was  disappointed.  I  ran  first  into  one  street,  then 
another,  inquiring  of  all  I  met ;  but  no  one  would  answer 
me.  At  length  an  old  woman  told  me  the  white  prisoners 
had  gone  toward  the  little  river  ;  for  they  were  to  be  carried 
to  Amarapoora.  I  then  ran  to  the  banks  of  the  little  river, 
about  half  a  mile,  but  saw  them  not,  and  concluded  the  old 
woman  had  deceived  me.  Some  of  the  friends  of  the  foreign- 
ers went  to  the  place  of  execution,  but  found  them  not.  I 
then  returned  to  the  governor,  to  try  to  discover  the  cause 
of  their  removal,  and  the  probability  of  their  future  fate. 
The  old  man  assured  me  that  he  was  ignorant  of  the  inten- 
tion of  Government  to  remove  the  foreigners  till  that  morn- 
ing ;  that,  since  I  went  out,  he  had  learned  that  the  prisoners 
were  to  be  sent  to  Amarapoora,  but  for  what  purpose  he 
knew  not.  *  I  will  send  off  a  man  immediately,'  said  he,  '  to 
see  what  is  to  be  done  with  them.  You  can  do  nothing  more 
for  your  husband,' continued  he  ;  ^  take  care  of  yourself .'  With 
a  heavy  heart  I  went  to  my  room,  and  having  no  hope  to  ex- 


246  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

cite  me  to  exertion,  I  sank  down  almost  in  despair.  For 
several  days  previous,  I  had  been  actively  engaged  in  build- 
ing my  own  little  room,  and  making  our  hovel  comfortable. 
My  thoughts  had  been  almost  entirely  occupied  in  contriving 
means  to  get  into  prison.  But  now  I  looked  toward  the  gate 
with  a  kind  of  melancholy  feeling,  but  no  wish  to  enter.  All 
was  the  stillness  of  death  ;  no  preparation  of  your  brother's 
food,  no  expectation  of  meeting  him  at  the  usual  dinner 
hour  ;  all  my  employment,  all  my  occupations,  seem  to  have 
ceased,  and  I  had  nothing  left  but  the  dreadful  recollection 
that  Mr.  Judson  was  carried  off,  I  knew  not  whither.  It  was 
one  of  the  most  insupportable  days  I  ever  passed.  Toward 
night,  however,  I  came  to  the  determination  to  set  off  the 
next  morning  for  Amarapoora,  and  for  this  purpose  was 
obliged  to  go  to  our  house  out  of  town. 

"  Never  before  had  I  suffered  so  much  from  fear  in  travers- 
ing the  streets  of  Ava.  The  last  words  of  the  governor, 
"  Take  care  of  yourself,"  made  me  suspect  there  was  some 
design  with  which  I  was  unacquainted.  I  saw,  also,  he  was 
afraid  to  have  me  go  into  the  streets,  and  advised  me  to  wait 
till  dark,  when  he  would  send  me  in  a  cart,  and  a  man  to 
open  the  gates.  I  took  two  or  three  trunks  of  the  most  valu- 
able articles,  together  with  the  medicine  chest,  to  deposit  in 
the  house  of  the  governor  ;  and  after  committing  the  house 
and  premises  to  our  faithful  Moung  Ing  and  a  Bengalee  serv- 
ant, who  continued  with  us,  though  we  were  unable  to  pay 
his  wages,  I  took  leave,  as  I  then  thought  probable,  of  our 
house  in  Ava  forever. 

"  On  my  return  to  the  governor's,  I  found  a  servant  of  Mr. 
Gouger,  who  happened  to  be  near  the  prison  when  the  for- 
eigners were  led  out,  and  followed  on  to  see  the  end,  who 
informed  me  that  the  prisoners  had  been  carried  before  the 
lamine-woon,  at  Amarapoora,  and  were  to  be  sent  the  next 
day  to  a  village  he  knew  not  how  far  distant.  My  distress 
was  a  little  relieved  by  the  intelligence  that  our  friend  was 
5'^et  alive  ;  but  still  I  knew  not  what  was  to  become  of 
him.  The  next  morning  I  obtained  a  pass  from  Government, 
and  with  my  little  Maria,  who  was  then  only  three  months 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  247 

old,  Mary  and  Abby  Hasseltine,  two  of  the  Burman  children, 
and  our  Bengalee  cook,  who  was  the  only  one  of  the  party 
that  could  afford  me  any  assistance,  I  set  off  for  Amarapoora. 
The  day  was  dreadfully  hot ;  but  we  obtained  a  covered 
boat,  in  which  we  were  tolerably  comfortable,  till  within  two 
miles  of  the  Government  house.  I  then  procured  a  cart  ; 
but  the  violent  motion,  together  with  the  dreadful  heat  and 
dust,  made  me  almost  distracted.  But  what  was  my  disap- 
pointment, on  my  arriving  at  the  court-house,  to  find  that 
the  prisoners  had  been  sent  on  two  hours  before,  and  that  I 
must  go  in  that  uncomfortable  mode  four  miles  farther  with 
little  Maria  in  my  arms,  whom  I  held  all  the  way  from  Ava. 
The  cartman  refused  to  go  any  further  ;  and  after  waiting 
an  hour  in  the  burning  sun,  I  procured  another,  and  set  off 
for  that  never-to-be-forgotten  place,  Oung-pen-la.  I  obtained 
a  guide  from  the  governor,  and  was  conducted  directly  to 
the  prison  yard.  But  what  a  scene  of  wretchedness  was  pre- 
sented to  my  view  !  The  prison  was  an  old,  shattered  build- 
ing, without  a  roof  ;  the  fence  was  entirely  destroyed  ;  eight 
or  ten  Burmese  were  on  the  top  of  the  building,  trying  to 
make  something  like  a  shelter  with  leaves  ;  while  under  a 
little  low  projection  outside  of  the  prison  sat  the  foreigners, 
chained  together  two  and  two,  almost  dead  with  suffering 
and  fatigue.  The  first  words  of  your  brother  were,  'Why 
have  you  come  ?  I  hoped  you  would  not  follow,  for  you  can 
not  live  here.'  It  was  now  dark.  I  had  no  refreshment  for 
the  suffering  prisoners,  or  for  myself,  as  I  had  expected  to 
procure  all  that  was  necessary  at  the  market  of  Amarapoora, 
and  I  had  no  shelter  for  the  night.  I  asked  one  of  the  jailers 
if  I  might  put  up  a  little  bamboo  house  near  the  prison  ;  he 
said,  '  No  ;  it  is  not  customary.'  I  then  begged  he  would 
procure  me  a  shelter  for  the  night,  when  on  the  morrow  I 
could  find  some  place  to  live  in.  He  took  me  to  his  house, 
in  which  there  were  only  two  small  rooms — one  in  which  he 
and  his  family  lived  ;  the  other,  which  was  then  half  full  of 
grain,  he  offered  to  me  ;  and  in  that  little  filthy  place  I  spent 
the  next  six  months  of  wretchedness.  I  procured  some  half- 
boiled  v/ater,  instead  of  my  tea,  and,  worn  out  with  fatigue, 


248  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

laid  myself  down  on  a  mat  spread  over  the  paddy,  and  en- 
deavored to  obtain  a  little  refreshment  from  sleep.  The 
next  morning  your  brother  gave  me  the  following  account 
of  the  brutal  treatment  he  had  received  on  being  taken  out 
of  prison. 

"  As  soon  as  I  had  gone  out  at  the  call  of  the  governor, 
one  of  the  jailers  rushed  into  Mr.  Judson's  little  room, 
roughly  seized  him  by  the  arm,  pulled  him  out,  stripped 
him  of  all  his  clothes  excepting  shirt  and  pantaloons,  took 
his  shoes,  hat,  and  all  his  bedding,  tore  off  his  chains,  tied  a 
rope  round  his  waist,  and  dragged  him  to  the  court-house, 
where  the  other  prisoners  had  previously  been  taken.  They 
were  then  tied  two-and-two,  and  delivered  into  the  hands  of 
the  lamine-woon,  who  went  on  before  them  on  horseback, 
while  his  slaves  drove  the  prisoners,  one  of  the  slaves  hold- 
ing the  rope  which  connected  two  of  them  together.  It  was  in 
May,  one  of  the  hottest  months  in  the  year,  and  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  day,  so  that  the  sun  was  intolerable  indeed.  They  had 
proceeded  only  half  a  mile,  when  your  brother's  feet  became 
blistered  ;  and  so  great  was  his  agony,  even  at  this  early 
period,  that  as  they  were  crossing  the  little  river,  he  ardently 
longed  to  throw  himself  into  the  water  to  be  free  from  misery. 
But  the  sin  attached  to  such  an  act  alone  prevented.  They 
had  then  eight  miles  to  walk.  The  sand  and  gravel  were 
like  burning  coals  to  the  feet  of  the  prisoners,  which  soon 
became  perfectly  destitute  of  skin  ;  and  in  this  wretched 
state  they  were  goaded  on  by  their  unfeeling  drivers.  Mr. 
Judson's  debilitated  state,  in  consequence  of  fever,  and  hav- 
ing taken  no  food  that  morning,  rendered  him  less  capable 
of  bearing  such  hardships  than  the  other  prisoners.  When 
about  half-way  on  their  journey,  as  they  stopped  for  water, 
your  brother  begged  the  lamine-woon  to  allow  him  to  ride 
his  horse  a  mile  or  two,  as  he  could  proceed  no  farther  in 
that  dreadful  state.  But  a  scornful,  malignant  look  was  all 
the  reply  that  was  made.  He  then  requested  Captain  Laird, 
who  was  tied  with  him,  and  who  was  a  strong,  healthy  man, 
to  allow  him  to  take  hold  of  his  shoulder,  as  he  was  fast 
sinking.     This  the  kind-hearted  man  granted  for  a  mile  or 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA. 


249 


two,  but  then  found  the  additional  burden  insupportable. 
Just  at  that  period,  Mr.  Gouger's  Bengalee  servant  came  up 
to  them,  and,  seeing  the  distresses  of  your  brother,  took  off 
his  headdress,  which  was  made  of  cloth,  tore  it  in  two,  gave 
half  to  his  master,  and  half  to  Mr.  Judson,  which  he  instantly 
wrapped  round  his  wounded  feet,  as  they  were  not  allowed 
to  rest  even  for  a  moment.  The  servant  then  offered  his 
shoulder  to  Mr.  Judson,  who  was  almost  carried  by  him  the 
remainder  of  the  way.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  support  and 
assistance  of  this  man,  your  brother  thinks  that  he  should 
have  shared  the  fate  of  the  poor  Greek,  who  was  one  of  their 
number,  and,  when  taken  out  of  prison  that  morning,  was  in 
perfect  health.  But  he  was  a  corpulent  man,  and  the  sun 
affected  him  so  much  that  he  fell  down  on  the  way.  His  in- 
human drivers  beat  and  dragged  him  until  they  themselves 
were  wearied,  when  they  procured  a  cart,  in  which  he  was 
carried  the  remaining  two  miles.  But  the  poor  creature  ex- 
pired in  an  hour  or  two  after  their  arrival  at  the  court-house. 
The  lamine-woon,  seeing  the  distressing  state  of  the  prison- 
ers, and  that  one  of  their  number  was  dead,  concluded  they 
should  go  no  farther  that  night  ;  otherwise  they  would  have 
been  driven  on  until  they  reached  Oung-pen-la  the  same  day. 
An  old  shed  was  appointed  for  their  abode  during  the  night, 
but  without  even  a  mat  or  pillow,  or  anything  to  cover  them. 
The  curiosity  of  the  lamine-woon's  wife  induced  her  to  make 
a  visit  to  the  prisoners,  whose  wretchedness  considerably 
excited  her  compassion,  and  she  ordered  some  fruit,  sugar, 
and  tamarinds  for  their  refreshment ;  and  the  next  morning, 
rice  was  prepared  for  them  and,  poor  as  it  was,  it  was  re- 
freshing to  the  prisoners,  who  had  been  almost  destitute  of 
food  the  day  before.  Carts  were  also  provided  for  their  con- 
veyance, as  none  of  them  were  able  to  walk.  All  this  time, 
the  foreigners  were  entirely  ignorant  of  what  was  to  become 
of  them  ;  and  when  they  arrived  at  Oung-pen-la,  and  saw 
the  dilapidated  state  of  the  prison,  they  immediately,  all  as 
one,  concluded  that  they  were  there  to  be  burned,  agreeably 
to  the  report  which  had  previously  been  in  circulation  at 
Ava.     They  all   endeavored  to   prepare  themselves  for  the 


250  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONJRAM  JUDSON. 

awful  scene  anticipated  ;  and  it  was  not  until  they  saw  prep- 
arations making  for  repairing  the  prison,  that  they  had  the 
least  doubt  that  a  cruel,  lingering  death  awaited  them.  My 
arrival  was  in  an  hour  or  two  after  this.* 

"  The  next  morning  I  arose,  and  endeavored  to  find  some- 
thing like  food.  But  there  was  no  market,  and  nothing  to 
be  procured.  One  of  Dr.  Price's  friends,  however,  brought 
some  cold  rice  and  vegetable  curry  from  Amarapoora,  which, 
together  with  a  cup  of  tea  from  Mr.  Lanciego,  answered  for 
the  breakfast  of  the  prisoners  ;  and  for  dinner  we  made  a 
curry  of  dried  salt  fish,  which  a  servant  of  Mr.  Gouger  had 
brought.  All  the  money  I  could  command  in  the  world  I 
had  brought  with  me,  secreted  about  my  person  ;  so  you 
may  judge  what  our  prospects  were,  in  case  the  war  should 
continue  long.  But  our  heavenly  Father  was  better  to  us 
than  our  fears  ;  for,  notwithstanding  the  constant  extortions 
of  the  jailers  during  the  whole  six  months  we  were  at  Oung- 

*  The  miseries  of  the  first  night  in  the  jail  at  Oung-pen-la  are  thus  described  by 
Mr.  Gouger:  "When  it  became  dark  we  were  motioned  inside  and  submitted  our 
feet  to  the  stocks  as  expected.  We  had  gone  to  hed  (I  can  not  restrain  a  smile  while 
I  write  the  word,  the  bare  plank  being  our  resting-place)  with  stomachs  uncomforta- 
bly light,  and  with  minds  anything  but  placid.  The  jail-guard  was  stationed  below 
us  in  a  little  apartment  resembling  a  veranda,  formed  by  a  continuation  of  the  roof, 
on  a  plan  which  the  builders  called  a  '  lean  to.'  As  all  became  still  we  began  to  com- 
pose our  thoughts  as  well  as  we  could,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  little  sleep,  when, 
to  our  astonishment,  we  felt  the  stocks  gradually  and  slowly  moving  upward,  as  if  by 
magic,  for  there  was  no  one  in  the  room  to  put  them  in  motion.  At  first  we  were  so 
taken  by  surprise,  that  we  did  not  know  what  to  make  o'f  it.  Was  it  going  up  to  the 
roof  ?  Was  it  some  new  species  of  torture  ?  Its  movement  was  majestically  slow, 
and  gave  us  a  little  time  to  think  before  it  reached  the  height  at  which  it  rested,  when 
a  very  short  time  discovered  the  trick.  It  was  certainly  very  creditable  to  the  ingenu- 
ity of  the  rogues,  and  was,  no  doubt,  looked  upon  by  them  as  a  prodigy  of  mechanical 
contrivance — as  I  could  hear  them  outside  enjoying  the  fun.  There  was  a  kind  of 
crank  outside  which  had  escaped  our  notice,  so  contrived  as  to  raise  or  depress  the 
stocks,  at  the  will  of  the  operator.  When  he  had  worked  them  to  a  sufficient  height, 
he  fixed  them,  and  left  us  depending,  in  the  fashion  of  a  bamboo  at  the  Let-ma-yoon. 
And  now  began,  what  I  before  hinted  at,  the  attack  of  mosquitoes,  which  swarmed  in 
from  the  stagnant  water  of  the  rice-field,  settling  unresisted  on  our  bare  feet.  We 
could  not  reach  to  drive  them  off,  and  a  rich  repast  they  no  doubt  enjoyed  on  our 
flayed  soles.  At  last  it  became  insupportable  and  we  lustily  bawled  out  for  pity  from 
our  guard  below.  I  must  do  them  the  credit  to  believe  they  knew  not  the  extent  of 
the  torture  they  were  inflicting,  as  before  midnight  they  mitigated  it  by  lowering  tha 
stocks,  when  we  could  hold  the  enemy  at  bay." 


LIFE  IN-  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  25 T 

pen-la,  and  the  frequent  straits  to  which  we  were  brought, 
we  never  really  suffered  for  the  Want  of  money,  though  fre- 
quently for  want  of  provisions,  which  were  not  procurable. 
Here  at  this  place  my  personal  bodily  sufferings  commenced. 
The  very  morning  after  my  arrival,  Mary  Hasseltine  was 
taken  with  the  small-pox,  the  natural  way.  She,  though  very 
young,  was  the  only  assistant  I  had  in  taking  care  of  little 
Maria.  But  she  now  required  all  the  time  I  could  spare  from 
Mr.  Judson,  whose  fever  still  continued,  in  prison,  and  whose 
feet  were  so  dreadfully  mangled  that  for  several  days  he  was 
unable  to  move.  I  knew  not  what  to  do,  for  I  could  procure 
no  assistance  from  the  neighborhood,  or  medicine  for  the 
sufferers,  but  was  all  day  long  going  backward  and  forward 
from  the  house  to  the  prison  with  little  Maria  in  my  arms. 

"You  will  recollect  I  never  had  the  small-pox,  but  was 
vaccinated  previously  to  leaving  America.  In  consequence  of 
being  for  so  long  a  time  constantly  exposed,  I  had  nearly  a 
hundred  pustules  formed,  though  no  previous  symptoms  of 
fever,  etc.  The  jailer's  children  having  had  the  small-pox  so 
lightly,  in  consequence  of  inoculation,  my  fame  was  spread 
all  over  the  village,  and  every  child,  young  and  old,  who  had 
not  previously  had  it,  was  brought  for  inoculation.  And 
although  I  knew  nothing  about  the  disorder,  or  the  mode  of 
treating  it,  I  inoculated  them  all  with  a  needle,  and  told  them 
to  take  care  of  their  diet — all  the  instructions  I  could  give 
them.  Mr.  Judson's  health  was  gradually  restored,  and  he 
found  himself  much  more  comfortably  situated  than  when  in 
the  city  prison. 

"  The  prisoners  were  at  first  chained  two  and  two  ;  but  as 
soon  as  the  jailers  could  obtain  chains  sufficient,  they  were 
separated,  and  each  prisoner  had  but  one  pair.  The  prison 
was  repaired,  a  new  fence  made,  and  a  large,  airy  shed  erected 
in  front  of  the  prison,  where  the  prisoners  were  allowed  to 
remain  during  the  day,  though  locked  up  in  the  little  close 
prison  at  night.  All  the  children  recovered  from  the  small- 
pox ;  but  my  watchings  and  fatigue,  together  with  my 
miserable  food,  and  more  miserable  lodgings,  brought  on 
one  of  the  diseases  of  the  country,  which  is  almost  always 


252  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

fatal  to  foreigners.  My  constitution  seemed  destroyed,  and 
in  a  few  days  I  became  so  weak  as  to  be  hardly  able  to  walk 
to  Mr.  Judson's  prison.  In  this  debilitated  state  I  set  off  in 
a  cart  for  Ava,  to  procure  medicines  and  some  suitable  food, 
leaving  the  cook  to  supply  my  place.  I  reached  the  house 
in  safety,  and  for  two  or  three  days  the  disorder  seemed  at  a 
stand  ;  after  which  it  attacked  me  so  violently  that  I  had  no 
hopes  of  recovery  left ;  and  my  only  anxiety  now  was,  to  re- 
turn to  Oung-pen-la,  to  die  near  the  prison.  It  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  that  I  obtained  the  medicine  chest 
from  the  governor,  and  then  had  no  one  to  administer  medi- 
cine. I,  however,  got  at  the  laudanum,  and  by  taking  two 
drops  at  a  time  for  several  hours,  it  so  far  checked  the  dis- 
order as  to  enable  me  to  get  on  board  a  boat,  though  so 
weak  that  I  could  not  stand,  and  again  set  off  for  Oung-pen- 
la.  The  last  four  miles  was  in  that  painful  conveyance,  the 
cart,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  rainy  season,  when  the  mud 
almost  buries  the  oxen.  You  ma)^  form  some  idea  of  a  Bur- 
mese cart,  when  I  tell  you  their  wheels  are  not  constructed 
like  ours,  but  are  simply  round  thick  planks  with  a  hole  in 
the  middle,  through  which  a  pole,  that  supports  the  body,  is 
thrust. 

"  I  just  reached  Oung-pen-la  when  my  strength  seemed  en- 
tirely exhausted.  The  good  native  cook  came  out  to  help 
me  into  the  house  ;  but  so  altered  and  emaciated  was  my  ap- 
pearance, that  the  poor  fellow  burst  into  tears  at  the  first 
sight.  I  crawled  on  to  the  mat  in  the  little  room,  to  which  I 
was  confined  for  more  than  two  months,  and  never  perfectly 
recovered  until  I  came  to  the  English  camp.  At  this  period, 
when  I  was  unable  to  take  care  of  myself,  or  look  after  Mr. 
Judson,  we  must  both  have  died  had  it  not  been  for  the  faith- 
ful and  affectionate  care  of  our  Bengalee  cook.  A  common 
Bengalee  cook  will  do  nothing  but  the  simple  business  of 
cooking  ;  but  he  seemed  to  forget  his  caste,  and  almost  his 
own  wants,  in  his  efforts  to  serve  us.  He  would  provide, 
cook,  and  carry  your  brother's  food,  and  then  return  and  take 
care  of  me.  I  have  frequently  known  him  not  to  taste  of 
food  till  near  night,  in  consequence  of  having  to  go  so  far  for 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA.  253 

wood  and  water,  and  in  order  to  have  Mr.  Judson's  dinner 
ready  at  the  usual  hour.  He  never  complained,  never  asked 
for  his  wages,  and  never  for  a  moment  hesitated  to  go  any- 
where, or  to  perform  any  act  we  required.  I  take  great 
pleasure  in  speaking  of  the  faithful  conduct  of  this  servant, 
who  is  still  with  us,  and  I  trust  has  been  well  rewarded  for 
his  services. 

"  Our  dear  little  Maria  was  the  greatest  sufferer  at  this 
time,  my  illness  depriving  her  of  her  usual  nourishment,  and 
neither  a  nurse  nor  a  drop  of  milk  could  be  procured  in  the 
village.  By  making  presents  to  the  jailers,  I  obtained  leave 
for  Mr.  Judson  to  come  out  of  prison,  and  take  the  emaciated 
creature  around  the  village,  to  beg  a  little  nourishment  from 
those  mothers  who  had  young  children.  Her  cries  in  the 
night  were  heart-rending,  when  it  was  impossible  to  supply 
her  wants.  I  now  began  to  think  the  very  afflictions  of  Job 
had  come  upon  me.  When  in  health,  I  could  bear  the  various 
trials  and  vicissitudes  through  which  I  was  called  to  pass. 
But  to  be  confined  with  sickness,  and  unable  to  assist  those 
who  were  so  dear  to  me,  when  in  distress,  was  almost  too 
much  for  me  to  bear  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  consola- 
tions of  religion,  and  an  assured  conviction  that  every  ad- 
ditional trial  was  ordered  by  infinite  love  and  mercy,  I  must 
have  sunk  under  my  accumulated  sufferings.  Sometimes  our 
jailers  seemed  a  little  softened  at  our  distress,  and,  for  several 
days  together,  allowed  Mr.  Judson  to  come  to  the  house, 
which  was  to  me  an  unspeakable  consolation.  Then,  again, 
they  would  be  as  iron-hearted  in  their  demands  as  though 
we  were  free  from  sufferings,  and  in  affluent  circumstances. 
The  annoyance,  the  extortions,  and  oppressions  to  which  we 
were  subject  during  our  six  months'  residence  in  Oung-pen 
la,  are  beyond  enumeration  or  description. 

"It  was  some  time  after  our  arrival  at  Oung-pen-la  that 
we  heard  of  the  execution  of  the  pakan-woon,  in  consequence 
of  which  our  lives  were  still  preserved.  For  we  afterward 
ascertained  that  the  white  foreigners  had  been  sent  to  Oung- 
pen-la  for  the  express  purpose  of  sacrificing  them  ;  and  that 
he  himself  intended  witnessing  the   horrid  scene.     We  had 


254  ^^^^  ^^P^  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

frecjuently  heard  of  his  intended  arrival  at  Oung-pen-la,  hwX. 
we  had  no  idea  of  his  diabolical  purposes.  He  had  raised  an 
army  of  fifty  thousand  men  (a  tenth  part  of  whose  advance 
pay  was  found  in  his  house),  and  expected  to  march  against 
the  English  army  in  a  short  time,  when  he  was  suspected  of 
high  treason,  and  instantly  executed,  without  the  least  ex- 
amination. Perhaps  no  death  in  Ava  ever  produced  such 
universal  rejoicings  as  that  of  the  pakan-woon.  We  never, 
to  this  day,  hear  his  name  mentioned  but  with  an  epithet  of 
reproach  or  hatred.  Another  brother  of  the  king  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  army  now  in  readiness,  but 
with  no  very  sanguine  expectations  of  success.  Some  weeks 
after  the  departure  of  these  troops,  two  of  the  woon-gyees 
were  sent  down  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating.  But  not 
being  successful,  the  queen's  brother,  the  acting  king  of  the 
country,  was  prevailed  on  to  go.  Great  expectations  were 
raised  in  consequence  ;  but  his  cowardice  induced  him  to 
encamp  his  detachment  of  the  army  at  a  great  distance  from 
the  English,  and  even  at  a  distance  from  the  main  body  of 
the  Burmese  army,  whose  headquarters  were  then  at  Maloun. 
Thus  he  effected  nothing,  though  reports  were  continually 
reaching  us  that  peace  was  nearly  concluded. 

"  The  time  at  length  arrived  for  our  release  from  the  dreary 
scenes  of  Oung-pen-la.  A  messenger  from  our  friend,  the 
governor  of  the  north  gate  of  the  palace,  informed  us  that  an 
order  had  been  given,  the  evening  before,  in  the  palace,  for 
Mr.  Judson's  release.  On  the  same  evening  an  official  order 
arrived  ;  and,  with  a  joyful  heart,  I  set  about  preparing  for 
our  departure  early  the  following  morning.  But  an  unex- 
pected obstacle  occurred,  which  made  us  fear  that  /  should 
still  be  retained  as  a  prisoner.  The  avaricious  jailers,  un- 
willing to  lose  their  prey,  insisted  that,  as  my  name  was  not 
included  in  the  order,  I  should  not  go.  In  vain  I  urged  that 
I  was  not  sent  there  as  a  prisoner,  and  that  they  had  no 
authority  over  me ;  they  still  determined  I  should  not 
go,  and  forbade  the  villagers  from  letting  me  a  cart.  Mr, 
Judson  was  then  taken  out  of  prison  and  brought  to  the 
jailers'  house,  where,  by  promises  and  threatenings,  he  finally 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA. 


255 


gained  their  consent,  on  condition  that  we  would  leave  the 
remaining  part  of  our  provisions  we  had  recently  received 
from  Ava.  It  was  noon  before  we  were  allowed  to  depart. 
When  we  reached  Amarapoora,  Mr.  Judson  was  obliged  to 
follow  the  guidance  of  the  jailer,  who  conducted  him  to  the 
governor  of  the  city.  Having  made  all  necessary  inquiries, 
the  governor  appointed  another  guard,  which  conveyed  Mr. 
Judson  to  the  court-house  in  Ava,  at  which  place  he  arrived 
some  time  in  the  night.  I  took  my  own  course,  procured  a 
boat,  and  reached  our  house  before  dark. 

"  My  first  object,  the  next  morning,  was  to  go  in  search  of 
your  brother  ;  and  I  had  the  mortification  to  meet  him  again 
in  prison,  though  not  the  death-prison.  I  went  immediately 
to  my  old  friend  the  governor  of  the  city,  who  now  was  raised 
to  the  rank  of  a  woon-gyee.  He  informed  me  that  Mr.  Jud- 
son was  to  be  sent  to  the  Burmese  camp,  to  act  as  translator 
and  interpreter  ;  and  that  he  was  put  in  confinement  for  a 
short  time  only  till  his  affairs  were  settled.  Early  the  fol- 
lowing morning  I  went  to  this  officer  again,  who  told  me  that 
Mr.  Judson  had  that  moment  received  twenty  ticals  from 
Government,  with  orders  to  go  immediately  on  board  a  boat 
for  Maloun,  and  that  he  had  given  him  permission  to  stop  a 
few  moments  at  the  house,  it  being  on  his  way.  I  hastened 
back  to  the  house,  where  Mr.  Judson  soon  arrived,  but  was 
allowed  to  remain  only  a  short  time,  while  I  could  prepare 
food  and  clothing  for  future  use.  He  was  crowded  into  a 
little  boat,  where  he  had  not  room  sufficient  to  lie  down,  and 
where  his  exposure  to  the  cold,  damp  nights  threw  him  into 
a  violent  fever  which  had  nearly  ended  all  his  sufferings. 
He  arrived  at  Maloun  on  the  third  day,  where,  ill  as  he  was, 
he  was  obliged  to  enter  immediately  on  the  work  of  trans- 
lating. He  remained  at  Maloun  six  weeks,  suffering  as  much 
as  he  had  at  any  time  in  prison,  excepting  he  was  not  in 
irons,  nor  exposed  to  the  insults  of  those  cruel  jailers. 

"  For  the  first  fortnight  after  his  departure,  my  anxiety 
was  less  than  it  had  been  at  any  time  previously  since  the 
commencement  of  our  difficulties.  I  knew  the  Burmese 
officers  at  the  camp  would  feel  the  value  of  Mr.  Judson's 


2<6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

services  too  much  to  allow  their  using  any  measures  threat- 
ening his  life.  I  thought  his  situation,  also,  would  be  much 
more  comfortable  than  it  really  was  ;  hence  my  anxiety  was 
less.  But  my  health,  which  had  never  been  restored  since 
that  violent  attack  at  Oung-pen-la,  now  daily  declined,  till  I 
was  seized  with  the  spotted  fever,  with  all  its  attendant  hor- 
rors. I  knew  the  nature  of  the  fever  from  its  commence- 
ment ;  and  from  the  shattered  state  of  my  constitution,  to- 
gether with  the  want  of  medical  attendants,  I  concluded  it 
must  be  fatal.  The  day  I  was  taken  with  the  fever,  a  Bur- 
mese nurse  came  and  offered  her  services  for  Maria.  This 
circumstance  filled  me  with  gratitude  and  confidence  in  God  ; 
for,  though  I  had  so  long  and  so  constantly  made  efforts  to 
obtain  a  person  of  this  description,  I  had  never  been  able  ; 
when  at  the  very  time  I  most  needed  one,  and  without  any 
exertion,  a  voluntary  offer  was  made.  My  fever  raged  vio- 
lently, and  without  any  intermission.  I  began  to  think  of 
settling  my  worldly  affairs,  and  of  committing  my  dear  little 
Maria  to  the  care  of  a  Portuguese  woman,  when  I  lost  my 
reason,  and  was  insensible  to  all  around  me.  At  this  dread- 
ful period.  Dr.  Price  was  released  from  prison,  and  hearing 
of  my  illness,  obtained  permission  to  come  and  see  me.  He 
has  since  told  me  that  my  situation  was  the  most  distressing 
he  had  ever  witnessed,  and  that  he  did  not  then  think  I 
should  survive  many  hours.  My  hair  was  shaved,  my  head 
and  feet  covered  with  blisters,  and  Dr.  Price  ordered  the 
Bengalee  servant  who  took  care  of  me  to  endeavor  to  per- 
suade me  to  take  a  little  nourishment,  which  I  had  obsti- 
nately refused  for  several  days.  One  of  the  first  things  I 
recollect  was  seeing  this  faithful  servant  standing  by  me, 
trying  to  induce  me  to  take  a  little  wine  and  water.  I  was, 
in  fact,  so  far  gone  that  the  Burmese  neighbors,  who  had 
come  in  to  see  me  expire,  said,  '  She  is  dead  ;  and  if  the  King 
of  Angels  should  come  in.  He  could  not  recover  her." 

"The  fever,  I  afterward  understood,  had  run  seventeen 
days  when  the  blisters  were  applied.  I  now  began  to  re- 
cover slowly,  but  it  was  more  than  a  month  after  this  before 
I  had   strength  to  stand.      While  in  this  weak,  debilitated 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG- PEN-LA.  257 

State,  the  servant  who  had  followed  your  brother  to  the  Bur- 
mese camp  came  in,  and  informed  me  that  his  mastei  had 
arrived,  and  was  conducted  to  the  court-house  in  town.  I 
sent  off  a  Burman  to  watch  the  movements  of  Government, 
and  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  in  what  way  Mr.  Judson  was  to 
be  disposed  of.  He  soon  returned  with  the  sad  intelligence 
that  he  saw  Mr.  Judson  go  out  of  the  palace-yard  accom- 
panied by  two  or  three  Burmans,  who  conducted  him  to  one 
of  the  prisons,  and  that  it  was  reported  in  town  that  he  was 
to  be  sent  back  to  the  Oung-pen-la  prison.  I  was  too  weak 
to  bear  ill  tidings  of  any  kind  ;  but  a  shock  so  dreadful  as 
this  almost  annihilated  me.  For  some  time  I  could  hardly 
breathe,  but  at  last  gained  sufficient  composure  to  dispatch 
Moung  Ing  to  our  friend  the  governor  of  the  north  gate, 
and  begged  him  to  make  one  ttiore  effort  for  the  release  of 
Mr.  Judson,  and  prevent  his  being  sent  back  to  the  country 
prison,  where  I  knew  he  must  suffer  much,  as  I  could  not 
follow.  Moung  Ing  then  went  in  search  of  Mr.  Judson  ;  and 
it  was  nearly  dark  when  he  found  him,  in  the  interior  of  an 
obscure  prison.  I  had  sent  food  early  in  the  afternoon  ;  but 
being  unable  to  find  him,  the  bearer  had  returned  with  it, 
which  added  another  pang  to  my  distresses,  as  I  feared  he 
was  already  sent  to  Oung-pen-la. 

■'  If  ever  I  felt  the  value  and  efficacy  of  prayer,  I  did  at 
this  time.  I  could  not  rise  from  my  couch  ;  I  could  make 
no  efforts  to  secure  my  husband  ;  I  could  only  plead  with 
that  great  and  powerful  Being  who  has  said,  '  Call  upon  me 
in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  /  will  hear,  and  thou  shalt  glorify 
me,'  and  who  made  me  at  this  time  feel  so  powerfully  this 
promise  that  I  became  quite  composed,  feeling  assured  that 
my  prayers  would  be  answered. 

"When  Mr.  Judson  was  sent  from  Maloun  to  Ava,  it  was 
within  five  minutes'  notice,  and  without  his  knowledge  of 
the  cause.  On  his  way  up  the  river,  he  accidentally  saw  the 
communication  made  to  Government  respecting  him,  which 
was  simply  this  :  '  We  have  no  further  use  for  Yoodthan  ;  we 
therefore  return  him  to  the  golden  city.'  On  arriving  at  the 
court-house,  there  happened  to  be  no  one  present  who  was 

17 


'258  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

acquainted  with  Mr.  Judson.  The  presiding  officer  inquired 
from  what  place  he  had  been  sent  to  Maloun.  He  was  an- 
swered, from  Oung-pen-la.  '  Let  him,  then,'  said  the  officer, 
'be  returned  thither';  when  he  was  delivered  to  a  guard 
and  conducted  to  the  place  above  mentioned,  there  to  remain 
until  he  could  be  conveyed  to  Oung-pen-la.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  governor  of  the  north  gate  presented  a  petition  to 
the  high  court  of  the  empire,  offered  himself  as  Mr.  Jud- 
son's  security,  obtained  his  release,  and  took  him  to  his 
house,  where  he  treated  him  with  considerable  kindness,  and 
to  which  I  was  removed  as  soon  as  returning  health  would 
allow. 

"  The  advance  of  the  English  army  toward  the  capital  at 
this  time  threw  the  whole  town  into  the  greatest  state  of 
alarm,  and  convinced  the  Government  that  some  speedy 
measures  must  be  taken  to  save  the  golden  city.  They  had 
hitherto  rejected  all  the  overtures  of  Sir  Archibald  Campbell, 
imagining,  until  this  late  period,  that  they  could  in  some  way 
or  other  drive  the  English  from  the  country.  Mr.  Judson 
and  Dr.  Price  were  daily  called  to  the  palace  and  consulted  ; 
in  fact,  nothing  was  done  without  their  approbation.  Two 
English  officers,  also,  who  had  lately  been  brought  to  Ava  as 
prisoners,  were  continually  consulted,  and  their  good  offices 
requested  in  endeavoring  to  persuade  the  British  general  to 
make  peace  on  easier  terms.  It  was  finally  concluded  that 
Mr.  Judson  and  one  of  the  officers  above  mentioned  should 
be  sent  immediately  to  the  English  camp  in  order  to  nego- 
tiate. The  danger  attached  to  a  situation  so  responsible, 
under  a  Government  so  fickle  as  the  Burmese,  induced  your 
brother  to  use  every  means  possible  to  prevent  his  being 
sent.  Dr.  Price  was  not  only  willing,  but  desirous  of  go- 
ing ;  this  circumstance  Mr.  Judson  represented  to  the  mem- 
bers of  Government,  and  begged  he  might  not  be  compelled 
to  go,  as  Dr.  Price  could  transact  the  business  equally  as 
well  as  himself.  After  some  hesitation  and  deliberation  Dr. 
Price  was  appointed  to  accompany  Dr.  Sandford,  one  of  the 
English  officers,  on  condition  that  Mr.  Judson  would  stand 
security  for  his  return,  while  the  other  English  officer,  then 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  259 

in  irons,  should  be  security  for  Dr.  Sandford.  The  king 
gave  them  a  hundred  ticals  each  to  bear  their  expenses 
(twenty-five  of  which  Dr.  Sandford  generously  sent  to  Mr. 
Gouger,  still  a  prisoner  at  Oung-pen-la),  boats,  men,  and  a 
Burmese  officer  to  accompany  them,  though  he  ventured  no 
farther  than  the  Burman  camp.  With  the  most  anxious  so- 
licitude the  court  waited  the  arrival  of  the  messengers,  but 
did  not  in  the  least  relax  in  their  exertions  to  fortify  the 
city.  Men  and  beasts  were  at  work  night  and  day,  making 
new  stockades  and  strengthening  old  ones,  and  whatever 
buildings  were  in  their  way  were  immediately  torn  down. 
Our  house,  with  all  that  surrounded  it,  was  levelled  to  the 
ground,  and  our  beautiful  little  compound  turned  into  a 
road  and  a  place  for  the  erection  of  cannon.  All  articles  of 
value  were  conveyed  out  of  town  and  safely  deposited  in 
some  other  place. 

"At  length  the  boat  in  which  the  ambassadors  had  been 
sent  was  seen  approaching,  a  day  earlier  than  was  expected. 
As  it  advanced  toward  the  city,  the  banks  were  lined  by 
thousands,  anxiously  inquiring  their  success.  But  no  answer 
was  given  ;  the  Government  must  first  hear  the  news.  The 
palace  gates  were  crowded,  the  officers  at  the  lut-d'hau  were 
seated,  when  Dr.  Price  made  the  following  communication  : 
*  The  general  and  commissioners  will  make  no  alteration  in 
their  terms,  except  the  hundred  lacks  [a  lack  is  a  hundred 
thousand]  of  rupees  may  be  paid  at  four  different  times  ;  the 
first  twenty-five  lacks  to  be  paid  within  twelve  days,  or  the 
army  will  continue  their  march.'  In  addition  to  this,  the 
prisoners  were  to  be  given  up  immediately.  The  general  had 
commissioned  Dr.  Price  to  demand  Mr.  Judson,  and  myself, 
and  little  Maria.  This  was  communicated  to  the  king,  who 
replied  :  '  They  are  not  English  ;  they  are  my  people,  and 
shall  not  go.'  At  this  time  I  had  no  idea  that  we  should  ever 
be  released  from  Ava.  The  Government  had  learned  the 
value  of  your  brother's  services,  having  employed  him  the 
last  three  months  ;  and  we  both  concluded  they  would  never 
consent  to  our  departure.  The  foreigners  were  again  called 
to  a  consultation,  to  see  what  could  be  done.     Dr.  Price  and 


26o  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSON. 

Mr.  Judson  told  them  plainly  that  the  English  would  never 
make  peace  on  any  other  terms  than  those  offered,  and  that 
it  was  in  vain  to  go  down  again  without  the  money.  It  was 
then  proposed  that  a  third  part  of  the  first  sum  demanded 
should  be  sent  down  immediatel}'.  Mr.  Judson  objected,  and 
still  said  it  would  be  useless.  Some  of  the  members  of 
Government  then  intimated  that  it  was  probable  the  teachers 
were  on  the  side  of  the  English,  and  did  not  try  to  make 
them  take  a  smaller  sum  ;  and  also  threatened,  if  they  did 
not  make  the  English  comply,  they  and  their  families  should 
suffer. 

"  In  this  interval,  the  fears  of  the  Government  were  con- 
siderably allayed  by  the  offers  of  a  general,  by  name  Layar- 
thoo-yah,  who  desired  to  make  one  more  attempt  to  conquer 
the  English,  and  disperse  them.  He  assured  the  king  and 
Government  that  he  could  so  fortify  the  ancient  city  of  Pu- 
gan  as  to  make  it  impregnable,  and  that  he  would  there 
defeat  and  destroy  the  English.  His  offers  were  heard  ;  he 
marched  to  Pugan  with  a  very  considerable  force,  and  made 
strong  the  fortifications.  But  the  English  took  the  city  with 
perfect  ease,  and  dispersed  the  Burmese  army  ;  while  the 
general  fled  to  Ava,  and  had  the  presumpt.on  to  appear  in 
the  presence  of  the  king  and  demand  new  troops.  The  king, 
being  enraged  that  he  had  ever  listened  to  him  for  a  moment, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  negotiation  had  been  delayed, 
the  English  general  provoked,  and  the  troops  daily  advancing, 
ordered  the  general  to  be  immediately  executed.  The  poor 
fellow  was  soon  hurled  from  the  palace,  and  beat  all  the  way 
to  the  court-house,  when  he  was  stripped  of  his  rich  apparel, 
bound  with  cords,  and  made  to  kneel  and  bow  toward 
the  palace.  He  was  then  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the 
executioners,  who,  by  their  cruel  treatment,  put  an  end  to  his 
existence  before  they  reached  the  place  of  execution. 

"  The  king  caused  it  to  be  reported  that  this  general  was 
executed  in  consequence  of  disobeying  his  commands  '■  not  to 
fight  the  English.' 

"  Dr.  Price  was  sent  off  the  same  night,  with  part  of  the 
prisoners,  and  with  instructions  to  persuade  the  general  to 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OLNG-PEN-LA.  261 

take  six  lacks  instead  of  twenty-five.  He  returned  in  two  or 
three  days,  with  the  appalling  intelligence  that  the  English 
general  was  very  angry,  refused  to  have  any  communication 
with  him,  and  was  now  within  a  few  days'  march  of  the 
capital.  The  queen  was  greatly  alarmed,  and  said  the  money 
should  be  raised  immediately,  if  the  English  Avould  only  stop 
their  march.  The  Avhole  palace  was  in  motion  ;  gold  and 
silver  vessels  were  melted  up  ;  the  king  and  queen  superin- 
tended the  weighing  of  a  part  of  it,  and  were  determined,  if 
possible,  to  save  their  city.  The  silver  was  ready  in  the  boats 
by  the  next  evening  ;  but  they  had  so  little  confidence  in  the 
English,  that,  after  all  their  alarm,  they  concluded  to  send 
down  six  lacks  only,  with  the  assurance  that,  if  the  English 
would  stop  where  they  then  were,  the  remainder  should  be 
forthcoming  immediately. 

"The  Government  now  did  not  even  ask  Mr.  Judson  the 
question  whether  he  would  go  or  not ;  but  some  of  the  officers 
took  him  by  the  arm,  as  he  was  walking  in  the  street,  and 
told  him  he  must  go  immediately  on  board  the  boat,  to  ac- 
company two  Burmese  officers,  a  woon-gyee  and  woon-douk, 
who  were  going  down  to  make  peace.  Most  of  the  English 
prisoners  were  sent  at  the  same  time.  The  general  and  com- 
missioners would  not  receive  the  six  lacks,  neither  would  they 
stop  their  march  ;  but  promised,  if  the  sum  complete  reached 
them  before  they  should  arrive  at  Ava,  they  would  make 
peace.  The  general  also  commissioned  Mr.  Judson  to  collect 
the  remaining  foreigners,  of  whatever  country,  and  ask  the 
question,  before  the  Burmese  Government,  whether  they 
wished  to  go  or  stay.  Those  who  expressed  a  wish  to  go 
should  be  delivered  up  immediately,  or  peace  would  not  be 
made. 

"  Mr.  Judson  reached  Ava  at  midnight,  had  all  the  foreigners 
called  the  next  morning,  and  the  question  asked.  Some  of 
the  members  of  Government  said  to  him,  'You  will  not  leave 
us  ;  you  shall  become  a  great  man  if  you  will  remain.'  He 
then  secured  himself  from  the  odium  of  saying  that  he 
wished  to  leave  the  service  of  his  majesty,  by  recurring  to 
the  order  of  Sir  Archibald,  that  whoever  wished  to  leave  Ava 


262  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

should  be  given  up,  and  that  I  had  expressed  a  wish  to  go, 
so  that  he  of  course  must  follow.  The  remaining  part  of  the 
twenty-five  lacks  was  soon  collected  ;  the  prisoners  at  Oung- 
pen-la  were  all  released,  and  either  sent  to  their  houses,  or 
down  the  river  to  the  English  ;  and  in  two  days  from  the 
time  of  Mr.  Judson's  return,  we  took  an  affectionate  leave  of 
the  good-natured  officer  who  had  so  long  entertained  us  at 
his  house,  and  who  now  accompanied  us  to  the  water-side, 
and  we  then  left  forever  the  banks  of  Ava. 

"  It  was  on  a  cool,  moonlight  evening,  in  the  month  of 
March,  that  with  hearts  filled  with  gratitude  to  God,  and 
overflowing  with  joy  at  our  prospects,  we  passed  down  the 
Irrawaddy,  surrounded  by  six  or  eight  golden  boats,  and  ac- 
companied by  all  we  had  on  earth.  The  thought  that  we 
had  still  to  pass  the  Burman  camp  would  sometimes  occur 
to  damp  our  joy,  for  we  feared  that  some  obstacle  might 
there  arise  to  retard  our  progress.  Nor  were  we  mistaken 
in  our  conjectures.  We  reached  the  camp  about  midnight, 
where  we  were  detained  two  hours  ;  the  woon-gyee  and  high 
officers  insisting  that  we  should  wait  at  the  camp,  while  Dr. 
Price,  who  did  not  return  to  Ava  with  your  brother,  but  re- 
mained at  the  camp,  should  go  on  with  the  money,  and  first 
ascertain  whether  peace  would  be  made.  The  Burmese 
Government  still  entertained  the  idea  that,  as  soon  as  the 
English  had  received  the  money  and  prisoners,  they  would 
continue  their  march,  and  yet  destroy  the  capital.  We  knew 
not  but  that  some  circumstance  might  occur  to  break  off  the 
negotiations.  Mr.  Judson  therefore  strenuously  insisted 
that  he  would  not  remain,  but  go  on  immediately.  The 
officers  were  finally  prevailed  on  to  consent,  hoping  much 
from  Mr.  Judson's  assistance  in  making  peace. 

"We  now,  for  the  first  time  for  more  than  a  year  and  a  half, 
felt  that  we  were  free,  and  no  longer  subject  to  the  oppressive 
yoke  of  the  Burmese.  And  with  what  sensations  of  delight, 
on  the  next  morning,  did  I  behold  the  masts  of  the  steam- 
boat, the  sure  presage  of  being  within  the  bounds  of  civilized 
life  !  As  soon  as  our  boat  reached  the  shore.  Brigadier  A. 
and  another  officer  came  on  board,  congratulated  us  on  oui 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  263 

arrival,  and  invited  us  on  board  the  steamboat,  where  I 
passed  the  remainder  of  the  day  ;  while  your  brother  went 
on  to  meet  the  general,  who,  with  a  detachment  of  the  army, 
had  encamped  at  Yandabo,  a  few  miles  farther  down  the 
river.  Mr.  Judson  returned  in  the  evening,  with  an  invitation 
from  Sir  Archibald  to  come  immediately  to  his  quarters, 
where  I  was  the  next  morning  introduced,  and  received  with 
the  greatest  kindness  by  the  general,  who  had  a  tent  pitched 
for  us  near  his  own,  took  us  to  his  own  table,  and  treated  us 
with  the  kindness  of  a  father,  rather  than  as  strangers  of 
another  country. 

*'  We  feel  that  our  obligations  to  General  Campbell  can 
never  be  cancelled.  Our  final  release  from  Ava,  and  our 
recovering  all  the  property  that  had  there  been  taken,  was 
owing  entirely  to  his  efforts.  His  subsequent  hospitality, 
and  kind  attention  to  the  accommodations  for  our  passage 
to  Rangoon,  have  left  an  impression  on  our  minds  which  can 
never  be  effaced.  We  daily  received  the  congratulation  of 
the  British  officers,  whose  conduct  toward  us  formed  a 
striking  contrast  to  that  of  the  Burmese.  I  presume  to  saj' 
that  no  persons  on  earth  were  ever  happier  than  we  were 
during  the  fortnight  we  passed  at  the  English  camp.  For 
several  days  this  single  idea  wholly  occupied  my  mind — that 
we  were  out  of  the  power  of  the  Burmese  Government,  and 
once  more  under  the  protection  of  the  English.  Our  feelings 
continually  dictated  expressions  like  this  :  What  shall  7ve 
render  to  the  Lord  for  all  His  benefits  toward  us  ? 

"  The  treaty  of  peace  was  soon  concluded,  signed  by  both 
parties,  and  a  termination  of  hostilities  publicly  declared. 
We  left  Yandabo  after  a  fortnight's  residence,  and  safely 
reached  the  mission-house  in  Rangoon  after  an  absence  of 
two  years  and  three  months. 

"  A  review  of  our  trip  to  and  adventures  in  Ava  often  ex- 
cites the  inquiry.  Why  were  we  permitted  to  go  ?  What 
good  has  been  effected  ?  Why  did  I  not  listen  to  the  advice 
of  friends  in  Bengal,  and  remain  there  till  the  war  was  con- 
cluded ?  But  all  that  we  can  say  is,  //  is  not  in  man  thai 
walktth  tc  direct  his  steps.     So  far  as  my  going  round  to  Ran- 


264  ^^^-^  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

^oon,  at  the  time  I  did,  was  instrumental  in  bringing  those 
heavy  afflictions  npon  us,  I  can  only  state  that,  if  I  ever  acted 
from  a  sense  of  duty  in  my  life,  it  was  at  that  time  ;  for  my 
conscience  would  not  allow  me  any  peace  when  I  thought  of 
sending  for  your  brother  to  come  to  Calcutta,  in  prospect  of 
the  approaching  war.  Our  society  at  home  have  lost  no 
property  in  consequence  of  our  difficulties  ;  but  two  years  of 
precious  time  have  been  lost  to  the  mission,  unless  some 
future  advantage  may  be  gained  in  consequence  of  the  severe 
discipline  to  which  we  ourselves  have  been  subject.  We  are 
sometimes  induced  to  think  that  the  lesson  we  found  so  very 
hard  to  learn  will  have  a  beneficial  effect  through  our  lives, 
and  that  the  mission  may,  in  the  end,  be  advanced  rather 
than  retarded. 

''  We  should  have  had  no  hesitation  about  remaining  in 
Ava  if  no  part  of  the  Burmese  empire  had  been  ceded  to  the 
British.  But  as  it  was,  we  felt  it  would  be  an  unnecessary  ex- 
posure, besides  the  missionary  field  being  much  more  limited 
in  consequence  of  intoleration.  We  now  consider  our  future 
missionary  prospects  as  bright  indeed  ;  and  our  only  anxiety 
is  to  be  once  more  in  that  situation  where  our  time  will  be 
exclusively  devoted  to  the  instruction  of  the  heathen. 

'  From  the  date  at  the  commencement  of  this  long  letter 
you  see,  my  dear  brother,  that  my  patience  has  continued  for 
two  months.  I  have  frequently  been  induced  to  throw  it 
aside  altogether;  but  feeling  assured  that  you  and  my  other 
friends  are  expecting  something  of  this  kind,  I  am  induced 
to  send  it,  with  all  its  imperfections.  This  letter,  dreadful 
as  are  the  scenes  herein  described,  gives  you  but  a  faint  idea 
of  the  awful  reality.  The  anguish,  the  agony  of  mind,  result- 
ing from  a  thousand  little  circumstances  impossible  to  be 
delineated  on  paper,  can  be  known  by  those  only  who  have 
been  in  similar  situations.  Pray  for  us,  my  dear  brother  and 
sister,  that  these  heavy  afflictions  may  not  be  in  vain,  but 
may  be  blessed  to  our  spiritual  good  and  the  advancement 
of  Christ's  cause  among  the  heathen." 

Should  the  reader  desire  still  further  to  explore  the  secrets 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  265 

of  Mr.  Judson's  prison-house,  he  is  referred  to  the  book  en- 
titled "  Personal  Narrative  of  Two  Years'  Imprisonment  in 
Burmah,"  by  Henry  Gouger.  •  Mr.  G.  views  the  subject,  not 
from  the  stand-point  of  a  missionary,  nor  of  a  minister,  nor 
of  an  American,  but  from  that  of  an  enterprising  English 
merchant,  so  that  we  are  indebted  to  him  for  a  strong  cross- 
light  shed  upon  Mr.  Judson's  experiences.  The  reader's 
attention  is  also  directed  to  a  sketch  called  "  The  Kathayan 
Slave,"  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson.*  "  I  wrote," 
says  Mrs.  J.,  "  under  my  husband's  eye,  and  he  read  and 
approved  it,  so  that  it  is  perfectly  reliable." 

Further  information  concerning  the  imprisonment  at  Ava 
and  Oung-pen-la  is  afforded  by  the  reminiscences  which 
were  gathered  by  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  from  conversations  with 
Mr.  Judson . 

"  During  the  first  seven  months  of  Mr.  Judson's  imprison- 
ment, there  was  but  little  change.  The  white  men  air  wore 
three  pairs  of  fetters  ;  but  they  were  suffered  to  walk  about 
the  prison-yard,  as  well  as  they  could  with  their  ankles  only 
a  few  inches  apart,  and  always  followed  by  keepers.  They 
were  from  time  to  time  subjected  to  almost  innumerable  an- 
noyances, vexations,  and  extortions  ;  and  they  were  obliged 
to  be  the  witnesses  of  wanton  cruelties  which  they  could  not 
prevent,  and  of  intense  sufferings  which  they  could  not  allevi- 
ate. For  the  most  of  the  time,  through  Mrs.  Judson's  con- 
tinual exertions,  and  by  help  of  occasional  presents,  they 
were  allowed  to  spend  the  day  in  the  open  shed  in  the  yard, 
and  Mrs.  Judson  was  even  permitted  to  build  a  little  bamboo 
shelter  for  her  husband,  where  he  could  be,  some  portion  of 
the  time,  by  himself.  Mr.  Judsoii  was  exceedingly  nice  m 
his  personal  habits,  nice  even  to  a  fault ;  and  this  herding 
together,  even  if  he  had  been  permitted  to  choose  his  associ- 
ates, would  have  been  exceedingly  unpleasant  to  him.  They 
were  not  all,  belonging  as  they  did  to  five  different  nations, 
educated  in  his  notions  of  cleanliness,  and  even  he  was  often 


*  See  Appendix  E. 


266  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

from  necessity,  offensive  to  himself.  Sometimes  he  was 
denied  the  use  of  water,  and  sometimes  the  admission  of 
clothing  was  forbidden  ;  and  the  act  of  dressing,  with  the 
ankles  made  fast  by  fetters,  proved  to  be  no  simple  art. 
With  all  his  efforts,  and  the  care  taken  by  his  wife  of  his 
wardrobe,  he  was  sometimes  in  a  very  forlorn  state.  His 
food  was  such  as  Mrs.  Judson  could  provide.  Sometimes  it 
came  regularly,  and  sometimes  they  went  very  hungry. 
Sometimes,  for  weeks  together,  they  had  no  food  but  rice, 
savored  with  ngapee — a  certain  preparation  of  fish,  not 
always  palatable  to  foreigners.  But  once,  when  a  term  of 
unusual  quiet  gave  her  time  for  the  softer  and  more  homely 
class  of  loving  thoughts,  Mrs.  Judson  made  a  great  effort  to 
surprise  her  husband  with  something  that  should  remind 
him  of  home.  She  planned  and  labored,  until,  by  the  aid  of 
buffalo  beef  and  plantains,  she  actually  concocted  a  mince 
pie.  Unfortunately,  as  she  thought,  she  could  not  go  in 
person  to  the  prison  that  day  ;  and  the  dinner  was  brought 
by  smiling  Moung  Ing,  who  seemed  aware  that  some  m3^stery 
must  be  wrapped  up  in  that  peculiar  preparation  of  meat 
and  fruit,  though  he  had  never  seen  the  well-spread  boards 
of  Plymouth  and  Bradford.  But  the  pretty  little  artifice 
only  added  another  pang  to  a  heart  whose  susceptibilities 
were  as  quick  and  deep  as,  in  the  sight  of  the  world,  they 
were  silent.  When  his  wife  had  visited  him  in  prison,  and 
borne  taunts  and  insults  with  and  for  him,  they  could  be 
brave  together  ;  when  she  had  stood  up  like  an  enchantress, 
winning  the  hearts  of  high  and  low,  making  savage  jailers, 
and  scarcely  less  savage  nobles,  weep  ;  or  moved,  protected 
by  her  own  dignity  and  sublimity  of  purpose,  like  a  queen 
along  the  streets,  his  heart  had  throbbed  with  proud  admira- 
tion ;  and  he  was  almost  able  to  thank  God  for  the  trials 
which  had  made  a  character  so  intrinsically  noble  shine  forth 
with  such  peculiar  brightness.  But  in  this  simple,  homelike 
act,  this  little  unpretending  effusion  of  a  loving  heart,  there 
was  something  so  touching,  so  unlike  the  part  she  had  just 
been  acting,  and  yet  so  illustrative  of  what  she  really  was, 
that  he  bowed  his  head  upon  his  knees,  and  the  tears  flowed 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  267 

down  to  the  chains  about  his  ankles.  What  a  happy  man  he 
might  have  been  had  this  heavy  woe  been  spared  them  !  And 
what  was  coming  next  ?  Finally  the  scene  changed,  and  there 
came  over  him  a  vision  of  the  past.  He  saw  again  the  home 
of  his  boyhood.  His  stern,  strangely  revered  father,  his 
gentle  mother,  his  rosy,  curly-haired  sister,  and  pale  young 
brother  were  gathered  for  the  noonday  meal,  and  he  was 
once  more  among  them.  And  so  his  fancy  revelled  there. 
Finally  he  lifted  his  head.  O,  the  misery  that  surrounded 
him  !  He  moved  his  feet,  and  the  rattling  of  the  heavy 
chains  was  as  a  death-knell.  He  thrust  the  carefully  pre- 
pared dinner  into  the  hand  of  his  associate,  and  as  fast  as 
his  fetters  would  permit,  hurried  to  his  own  little  shed. 

"  Mr.  Judson  was  not  naturally  of  an  even  temperament. 
Hopeful  and  earnest  he  was,  beyond  most  men,  and  withal 
very  persevering  ;  but  at  this  period  of  his  life,  and  up  to  a 
much  later  time,  he  was  subject  to  a  desponding  reaction, 
from  which  his  faith  in  God,  the  ruling  principle  of  his  later 
years,  was  not  now  sufficiently  ripe  to  set  him  entirely  free. 
His  peculiar  mental  conformation  was  eminently  active  ;  so 
that  the  passive  suffering  of  his  prison  discipline  was  more 
galling  than  to  a  mind  differently  constituted.  So  long  as 
he  could  contend  with  difficulties,  he  was  appalled  by 
nothing  ;  but  whatever  he  might  have  been  in  after-life,  he 
was  at  this  time  better  fitted  to  do  than  to  endure.  For  some 
time  previous  to  the  birth  of  poor  little  Maria,  he  had  been 
filled  with  the  gloomiest  forebodings  ;  and  not  without 
cause.  His  wife,  from  the  peculiar  customs  of  this  land  of 
semi-civilization,  was  more  alone  than  she  would  have  been 
among  the  wild  Indian  women  of  an  American  forest ;  and 
he  could  do  nothing  for  her.  When  the  dreaded  crisis  was 
past,  and  a  pale,  puny  infant  of  twenty  days  was  brought  to 
his  prison,  no  person  not  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
secret  springs  of  feeling  which  made  his  the  richest  heart 
that  ever  beat  in  human  bosom,  would  be  at  all  able  to  ap- 
preciate the  scene.  His  first  child  slept  beneath  the  waters 
of  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  a  victim  to  Anglo-Indian  persecution, 
a  baby-martyr,  without  the  martyr's  conflict ;    the  second, 


268  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

his  'meek,  blue-eyed  Roger,'  had  his  bed  in  the  jungle  grave- 
yard at  Rangoon  ;  and  here  came  the  third  little  wan  stranger, 
to  claim  the  first  parental  kiss  from  the  midst  of  felon  chains. 

"  Mrs.  Judson  had  long  previous  to  this  adopted  the  Bur- 
mese style  of  dress.  Her  rich  Spanish  complexion  could 
never  be  mistaken  for  the  tawny  hue  of  the  native  ;  and  her 
figure,  of  full  medium  height,  appeared  much  taller  and  more 
commanding  in  a  costume  usually  worn  by  women  of  inferior 
size.  But  her  friend,  the  governor's  wife,  who  presented  her 
wdth  the  dress,  had  recommended  the  measure  as  a  concession 
which  would  be  sure  to  conciliate  the  people,  and  win  them 
to  a  kindlier  treatment  of  her.  Behold  her,  then — her  dark 
curls  carefully  straightened,  drawn  back  from  her  forehead, 
and  a  fragrant  cocoa-blossom,  drooping  like  a  white  plume 
from  the  knot  upon  the  crown  ;  her  saffron  vest  thrown  open 
to  display  the  folds  of  crimson  beneath  ;  and  a  rich  silken 
skirt,  wrapped  closely  about  her  fine  figure,  parting  at  the 
ankle,  and  sloping  back  upon  the  floor.  The  clothing  of  the 
feet  was  not  Burman,  for  the  native  sandal  could  not  be  worn 
except  upon  a  bare  foot.  Behold  her  standing  in  the  door- 
way (for  she  was  never  permitted  to  enter  the  prison),  her 
little  blue-eyed  blossom  wailing,  as  it  almost  always  did, 
upon  her  bosom,  and  the  chained  father  crawling  forth  to 
the  meeting  ! 

"  The  following  verses,  of  which  the  writer  says,  '  They 
were  composed  in  my  mind  at  the  time,  and  afterward  writ- 
ten down,'  commemorate  this  meeting  : 


Lines  addressed  to  an  Jn/ant  Daughter,  twenty  days  old,  in  the  condemned 
Prison  at  Ava. 

"  '  Sleep,  darling  infant,  sleep, 

Hushed  on  thy  mother's  breast ; 
Let  no  rude  sound  of  clanking  chains 
Disturb  thy  balmy  rest. 

"  '  Sleep,  darling  infant,  sleep  ; 

Blest  that  thou  canst  not  know 
The  pangs  that  rend  thy  parents'  hearts. 
The  keenness  of  their  woe. 


m  '  {?oi.  24'''JS2a 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  269 

"  '  Sleep,  darling  infant,  sleep  ; 

May  Heaven  its  blessings  shed, 
In  rich  profusion,  soft  and  sweet, 
On  thine  unconscious  head  ! 

"  '  Why  ope  thy  little  eyes  ? 

What  would  my  darling  see  ? 
Thy  sorrowing  mother's  bending  form? 
Thy  father's  agony  ? 

"  '  Wouldst  view  this  drear  abode, 

Where  fettered  felons  lie. 

And  wonder  that  thy  father  here 

Should  as  a  felon  sigh  ? 

"  '  Wouldst  mark  the  dreadful  sights, 
Which  stoutest  hearts  appal— 
The  stocks,  the  cord,  the  fatal  sword, 
The  torturing  iron  mall  ? 

"  '  No,  darling  infant,  no  ! 

Thou  seest  them  not  at  all ; 

Thou  only  mark'st  the  rays  of  light 

Which  flicker  on  the  wall. 

"  '  Thine  untaught  infant  eye 
Can  nothing  clearly  see  ; 
Sweet  scenes  of  home  and  prison  scenes 
Are  all  alike  to  thee. 

"  '  Stretch,  then,  thy  little  arms, 
And  roll  thy  vacant  eye, 
Reposing  on  thy  mother's  breast 
In  soft  security. 

"  '  Why  ope  thy  paly  lips  ? 

What  would  my  darling  say  ? 
"  My  dear  papa,  why  leave  us  thus? 
Why  thus  in  prison  stay  ? 

"  '  "  For  poor  mamma  and  I 

All  lonely  live  at  home, 
And  every  day  we  watch  and  wait. 
And  wish  papa  would  come  ?  " 

*     No  ;  all  alike  to  thee 

Thy  mother's  grief  or  mirth  ; 


270  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON. 

Nor  know'st  thou  one  of  all  the  ills 
Which  mark  thy  mournful  birth. 

"  '  Thy  lips  one  art  alone. 

One  loving,  simple  grace, 
By  nature's  instinct  have  been  taught ; 
Seek,  then,  thy  nestling-place  ! 

"  '  Spread  out  thy  little  hand  ; 

Thy  mother's  bosom  press, 
And  thus  return,  in  grateful  guise. 
Her  more  sincere  caress. 

•'  '  Go,  darling  infant,  go  ; 

Thine  hour  has  passed  away  ; 
The  jailer's  harsh,  discordant  voice 
Forbids  thy  longer  stay. 

"  '  God  grant  that  we  may  meet 
In  happier  times  than  this, 
And  with  thine  angel  mother  dear 
Enjoy  domestic  bliss.  - 

"  '  But  should  the  fearful  clouds. 

Which  Burmah's  sky  o'erspread. 
Conduct  the  threatened  vengeance  down 
On  thy  poor  father's  head — 

"  '  Where  couldst  thou  shelter  find  ? 

Oh,  whither  wouldst  thou  stray  ? 
What  hand  would  guide  my  darling's  steps 
Along  their  dangerous  way  ? 

"  '  There  is  a  God  on  high, 

The  glorious  King  of  kings  ; 
'Tis  He  to  whom  thy  mother  prays, 
Whose  love  she  sits  and  sings. 

"  'That  glorious  God,  so  kind, 
Has  sent  His  Son  to  save 
Our  ruined  race  from  sin  and  death, 
And  raise  them  from  the  grave. 

"  '  And  to  that  gracious  God 
My  darling  I  commend  ; 
Be  Thou  the  helpless  orphan's  stay, 
Her  Father  and  her  Friend. 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  271 

"  '  Inspire  her  infant  heart 

The  Saviour's  love  to  know, 
And  guide  her  through  this  dreary  world, 
This  wilderness  of  woe. 

"  'Thou  sleep'st  again,  my  Iamb, 

Nor  heed'st  nor  song  nor  prayer: 
Go,  sleeping  in  thy  mother's  arms. 
Safe  in  a  mother's  care. 

"  'And  when,  in  future  years. 

Thou  know'st  thy  father's  tongue, 
These  lines  will  show  thee  how  he  felt. 
How  o'er  his  babe  he  sung. 
To  Maria  Eliza  Butterworth  Judson,  born  at  Ava,  January  26,  1825.'  " 

The  following  versification  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  was  com- 
posed a  few  weeks  later.  It  illustrates  the  nature  of  the 
subjects  which  occupied  the  thoughts  of  the  missionary 
during  this  long-protracted  agony.  It  is  comprised  in  fewer 
words  than  the  original  Greek,  and  contains  only  two  more 
than  the  common  translation  : 

"  Our  Father  God,  who  art  in  heaven, 
All  hallowed  be  Thy  name ; 
Thy  kingdom  come  ;  Thy  will  be  done 
In  earth  and  heaven  the  same. 

"  Give  us,  this  day,  our  daily  bread  ; 
And,  as  we  those  forgive 
Who  sin  against  us,  so  may  we 
Forgiving  grace  receive. 

"  Into  temptation  lead  us  not ; 
From  evil  set  us  free  ; 
The  kingdom,  power,  and  glory.  Lord, 
Ever  belong  to  Thee. 
"  Prison,  Ava,  March,  1825." 

"  The  foreigners  had  spent  about  seven  months  in  prison, 
when  suddenly  a  change  came.  One  day  a  band  of  men 
rushed  into  the  prison-yard,  and  while  some  seized  the  white 
prisoners,  and  added  two  more  pairs  of  fetters  to  the  three 
they  already  wore,  others  began  tearing  down  Mrs.  Judson's 


272  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

little  bamboo  room,  snatching  up  pillows  and  mattresses,  and 
whatever  other  articles  came  within  their  reach.  At  last  the 
prisoners,  after  having  half  the  clothing  torn  from  their  per- 
sons, were  thrust  into  the  common  prison,  and,  with  a  bam- 
boo between  their  legs,  again  stretched  upon  the  bare  floor. 
Here  were  more  than  a  hundred  miserable  wretches,  shut 
from  every  breath  of  air  except  such  as  could  find  its  way 
between  the  crevices  in  the  boards,  groaning  with  various 
tortures,  and  rattling  their  chains,  as  they  groped  in  the  gray 
light,  and  writhed  and  twisted  themselves,  as  much  as  .was  in 
their  power,  from  side  to  side,  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  obtain 
some  ease  by  change  of  position.  It  was  the  commencement 
of  the  hot  season,  and  the  heat  was  not  lessened  by  the  fevered 
breaths  of  that  crowd  of  sufferers,  nor  the  close  air  purified 
by  the  exhalations  which  arose  from  their  bodies.  Night 
came,  but  brought  with  it  no  rest.  A  whisper  had  passed 
around  the  prison,  whether  through  malice  or  accident,  that 
the  foreigners  would  be  led  out  to  execution  at  three  in  the 
morning  ;  and  the  effect  on  the  little  band  was  not  so  much 
in  accordance  with  natural  temperament  as  the  transforming 
principle  of  faith.  Bold  men  were  cowards,  and  weak  men 
grew  strong.  At  first  Mr.  Judson  felt  a  pang  of  regret  that 
he  was  to  go  at  last  without  saying  farewell  to  his  unsuspect- 
ing wife  and  child.  But  gradually  the  feeling  changed,  and 
he  would  not  have  had  it  different  if  he  could.  She  had  left 
him  in  comparative  comfort  that  day  ;  she  would  come  the 
next,  and  find  him  beyond  her  care.  It  would  be  a  terrible 
shock  at  first ;  but  she  would  be  spared  much  anxious  suffer- 
ing, and  he  could  almost  fancy  that  she  would  soon  learn  to 
rejoice  that  he  was  safe  in  glory.  As  for  herself,  the  Bur- 
mans  had  always  treated  her  with  some  respect ;  she  seemed 
to  have  gained  immunity  from  personal  insult,  while  her  in- 
trepidity had  won  their  admiration  ;  and  he  did  not  believe 
that  even  the  rudest  of  them  would  dare  to  do  her  harm. 
No  ;  fruitful  in  resources  as  she  had  proved  herself,  she 
would  get  an  appointment  to  carry  some  message  of  peace  to 
the  English,  and  so  place  herself  under  their  protection.  It 
would  be  a  blessing  to  her  and  to  his  child  if  he  was  removed 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA. 


273 


from  them  ;  and  he  thanked  God  that  his  time  was  so  near 
at  hand.  He  felt  thankful,  too,  that  the  execution  was  to 
take  place  in  the  morning.  He  should  pass  his  own  door  on 
the  way.  There  he  might  breathe  his  silent  farewell,  while 
she  was  spared  the  parting  agony.  He  thought  of  Burmah, 
too,  even  then.  The  English  would  most  likely  be  conquer- 
ors ;  and  then  there  would  be  nothing  to  hinder  the  propa- 
gation of  Christianity.  He  even  recollected — so  calm  and 
dispassionate  were  his  thoughts — some  passages  in  his  trans- 
lation capable  of  a  better  rendering  ;  and  then  he  speculated 
on  the  pillow  he  had  lost  that  day,  weighing  the  probabili- 
ties of  its  ever  falling  into  his  wife's  hands,  so  that  the  manu- 
script would  be  recovered.  And  then  he  imagined  that  she 
did  not  find  it,  and  went  off  into  a  visionary  scene  of  its  being 
brought  to  light  years  afterward,  which  he  smiled  at  when 
he  gave  a  sketch  of  these  emotions,  and  did  not  fully  de- 
scribe. At  length  the  fatal  hour  drew  nigh.  They  had  no 
means  of  ascertaining  it  precisely,  but  they  knew  that  it  could 
not  be  very  far  distant.  They  waited  with  increased  solem- 
nity. Then  they  prayed  together,  Mr.  Judson's  voice  for  all 
of  them,  and  then  he,  and  probably  each  of  the  others, 
prayed  separately.  And  still  they  waited,  in  awful  expeb- 
tancy.  The  hour  passed  by — they  felt  it  mzist  be  passed — 
and  there  was  no  unusual  movement  in  the  prison.  Still 
they  expected  and  waited,  till  finally  there  woke  a  glimmer- 
ing of  hope,  a  possibility  that  they  had  been  deceived.  And 
so,  hoping,  and  doubting,  and  fearing,  they  lingered  on,  till 
the  opening  of  the  door  assured  them  of  what  they  had  long 
suspected.  It  was  morning.  Then  the  jailer  came  ;  and,  in 
answer  to  their  questions,  chucked  them  mockingly  under 
the  chin,  and  told  then,  Oh,  no  ;  he  could  not  spare  his  be- 
loved children  yet,  just  after — kicking  the  bamboo  as  he 
spoke,  till  all  the  chains  rattled,  and  the  five  rows  of  fetters 
dashed  together,  pinching  sharply  the  flesh  that  they  caught 
between  them — just  after  he  had  taken  so  much  trouble  to 
procure  them  fitting  ornaments. 

"  I  ought  to  have  stated  before  that  the  keeper,  to  whose 
share  Mr.  Judson's  old  pillow  fell  on  the  day  they  were  so 
18 


274  ^^^  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOA\ 

unceremoniously  thrust  into  the  inner  prison,  had  afterward 
exchanged  it  for  a  better  one,  wondering,  no  doubt,  at  the 
odd  taste  of  the  white  man.  When  he  was  again  robbed 
of  his  clothes  and  bedding,  on  the  day  he  was  driven 
away  to  Oung-pen-la,  one  of  the  ruffians  deliberately  untied 
the  mat  which  was  used  as  a  cover  to  the  precious  pillow, 
and  threw  the  apparently  worthless  roll  of  hard  cotton  away. 
Some  hours  after,  Moung  Ing,  stumbling  upon  this  one  relic 
of  the  vanished  prisoners,  carried  it  to  the  house  as  a  token  ; 
and,  several  months  from  that  time,  the  manuscript  which 
now  makes  a  part  of  the  Burmese  Bible  was  found  within, 
uninjured. 

"  They  remained  at  Oung-pen-la  six  months,  when  Mr. 
Judson  was,  for  the  first  time,  released  from  his  irons,  to  be 
employed  as  translator  and  interpreter  to  the  Burmans. 
From  the  first,  he  had  been  particularly  careful  not  to  take 
any  part  in  political  affairs  ;  for,  however  the  war  might  end, 
he  did  not  wish  the  Burmans  to  receive  an  impression  that 
he  was  in  the  interests  of  the  English.  He  felt  that  it  would 
be  wrong  to  endanger  his  influence  as  a  religious  teacher  by 
taking  any  step  which  would  be  likely  to  render  him  obnox- 
ious even  to  a  conquered  people.  But  now  he  had  no  choice. 
His  own  wishes  in  the  matter  were  not  consulted,  any  more 
than  they  had  been  when  he  was  first  thrown  into  prison. 
He  was  probably  selected  for  the  office  because  there  was  no 
one  who  could  be  better  trusted,  although  it  was  evident 
that  not  the  slightest  confidence  was  reposed  in  him.  He 
was  carried  to  Ava  under  guard,  kept  in  prison  two  days, 
and  then,  without  being  permitted  to  visit  his  own  house  but 
a  few  moments,  was  sent  to  Maloun.  Here  he  remained 
about  six  weeks,  when,  in  consequence  of  the  advance  of  the 
English  from  Prome,  he  was  hurriedly  sent  back  to  Ava.  It 
was  late  in  the  night  when  he  arrived,  and  he  was  taken 
through  the  streets  directly  past  his  own  door.  A  feeble 
light  glimmered  within,  assuring  him  that  it  was  not  alto- 
gether deserted  ;  but  yet  what  might  not  have  occurred  in 
those  six  weeks  !  He  entreated  permission  to  enter  but  for 
five  minutes  ;  he  threatened,  he  bribed,  he  appealed  to  their 


LIFE  IX  AVA  AND  OUNG- PEN-LA.  275 

humanity,  for  he  knew  that  even  they,  hard  as  they  seemed, 
must  have  humanity  somewhere  ;  but  all  without  success. 
His  conductors,  with  some  show  of  feeling,  assured  him  that 
they  had  orders  to  take  him  directly  tp  the  court-house,  and 
that  they  dared  not  disobey.  He  crouched  down  in  an  out- 
building until  morning,  when,  after  a  slight  examination,  he 
was  placed  under  guard  in  an  out-of-the-way  shed,  which 
served  as  a  temporary  prison.  At  night  of  the  same  day, 
Moung  Ing  found  him  in  this  obscure  place,  where  he  had 
been  all  day  without  food.  While  conversing  with  the  faith- 
ful Burman,  Mr.  Judson  once  or  twice  fancied  there  was 
something  in  his  words  or  manner,  or  perhaps  both,  a  little 
puzzling  ;  but  the  impression  was  only  momentarj^,  and  the 
very  sight  of  this  messenger  from  his  wife  relieved  him  of  a 
burden  of  apprehension.  He  immediately  dispatched  Moung 
Ing  to  the  friendly  governor,  for  aid  in  his  nev/  difficulties, 
instructing  him  carefully  as  to  his  words  and  behavior,  and, 
in  the  joy  of  his  heart,  bade  him  tell  the  tsayah-ga-dau  to 
keep  up  courage  one  day  more  ;  it  was  almost  certain  he 
should  be  with  her  on  the  next.  As  soon  as  the  messenger 
was  gone,  Mr.  Judson's  thoughts  immediately  recurred  to  the 
singularity  of  his  behavior,  scarcely  observable  at  the  time, 
but  now  assuming  much  importance.  His  wife  was  doubt- 
less well,  though  Moung  Ing  had  certainly  not  been  very  ex- 
plicit when  inquired  of  ;  she  ?fiust  be  well,  for  had  she  not 
sent  several  messages,  and  herself  suggested  the  application 
to  the  governor  ?  The  child,  too,  was  well ;  he  had  said  that 
unhesitatingly.  Why  had  he  hesitated  in  the  other  case  ? 
Could  it  be,  could  it  really  be,  that  anything  serious  had  be- 
fallen her,  and  they  had  concealed  it  from  him  ?  But  no  ; 
those  messages  !  He  remembered,  however  (it  all  came  to 
him  too  clearly  now),  how  ostentatiously  the  good-natured 
Burman  had  paraded  one  of  those  messages  whenever  he 
asked  a  question  ;  and  yet,  think  as  he  would,  they  all  re- 
solved themselves  into  two — she  longed  to  see  him,  and  she 
recommended  an  application  to  the  governor.  The  messen- 
ger had  certainly  behaved  strangely,  and  he  had  been 
strangely  blinded.     These  two  simple  phrases  had  been  re- 


276  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSON. 

peated  so  often,  and  in  such  variety  of  style,  that  tliey  had 
been  made  to  appear  a  dozen,  and  to  contain  a  world  of 
meaning  ;  and  for  the  time  he  was  fully  satisfied.  '  She  must 
be  living,'  he  repeated  to  himself  ;  *  there  is  ample  proof  of 
that.'  '  She  must  have  been  living,'  answered  a  withering 
doubt  within,  '  when  she  gave  the  directions  to  Moung  Ing.' 
After  that  one  thought,  he  had  no  disposition  to  sleep.  The 
tedious  night  at  length  dragged  itself  away  ;  and,  though 
the  governor  sent  for  him  as  early  as  could  reasonably  be 
expected  in  the  morning,  a  strange,  vague  apprehension 
seemed  to  concentrate  whole  ages  in  those  few  early  hours. 
The  kind  old  man  had  become  his  security  with  the  Govern- 
ment, and  set  him  free.  With  a  step  more  fleet  than  for  the 
last  two  years  he  had  practiced,  and  in  spite  of  the  maimed 
ankles,  which  sometimes  almost  refused  their  office,  he  hur- 
ried along  the  street  to  his  beloved  home.  The  door  stood 
invitingly  open,  and,  without  having  been  seen  by  any  one, 
he  entered.  The  first  object  which  met  his  eye  was  a  fat, 
half-naked  Burman  woman,  squatting  in  the  ashes  beside  a 
pan  of  coals,  and  holding  on  her  knees  a  wan  baby,  so  be- 
grimed with  dirt  that  it  did  not  occur  to  the  father  it  could 
be  his  own.  He  gave  but  one  hasty  look,  and  hurried  to  the 
next  room.  Across  the  foot  of  the  bed,  as  though  she  had 
fallen  there,  lay  a  human  object,  that,  at  the  first  glance,  was 
scarcely  more  recognizable  than  his  child.  The  face  was  of 
a  ghastly  paleness,  the  features  sharp,  and  the  whole  form 
shrunken  almost  to  the  last  degree  of  emaciation.  The 
glossy  black  curls  had  all  been  shorn  from  the  finely-shaped 
head,  which  was  now  covered  by  a  close-fitting  cotton  cap, 
of  the  coarsest  and — unlike  anything  usually  coming  in  con- 
tact with  that  head — not  the  cleanest  kind.  The  whole  room 
presented  an  appearance  of  the  very  extreme  of  wretched- 
ness, more  harrowing  to  the  feelings  than  can  be  told. 
There  lay  the  devoted  wife,  who  had  followed  him  so  un- 
weariedly  from  prison  to  prison,  ever  alleviating  his  dis- 
tresses, without  even  common  hireling  attendance.  He  knew, 
by  the  very  arrangement  of  the  room,  and  by  the  expression 
of  sheer  animality  on  the  face  of  the  woman  who  held  his 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-P EN-LA.  277 

child,  that  the  Bengalee  cook  had  been  her  only  nurse.  The 
wearied  sleeper  was  awakened  by  a  breath  that  came  too 
near  her  cheek.  Perhaps  a  falling  tear  might  have  been 
added  ;  for,  steady  as  were  those  eyes  in  difficulties,  daunt- 
less in  dangers,  and  stern  when  conscience  frowned,  they 
were  well  used  to  tender  tears. 

"  One  evening  several  persons  at  our  house  were  repeating 
anecdotes  of  what  different  men  in  different  ages  had  re- 
garded as  the  highest  type  of  sensuous  enjoyment  ;  that  is, 
enjoyment  derived  from  outward  circumstances.  '  Pooh  ! ' 
said  Mr.  Judson  ;  '  these  men  were  not  qualified  to  judge.  I 
know  of  a  much  higher  pleasure  than  that.  What  do  you 
think  of  floating  down  the  Irrawaddy,  on  a  cool,  moonlight 
evening,  with  your  wife  by" your  side,  and  your  baby  in  your 
arms,  free — all  free?  But  you  can  not  understand  it,  either  ; 
it  needs  a  twenty-one  months'  qualification  ;  and  I  can  never 
regret  my  twenty-one  months  of  misery,  when  I  recall  that 
one  delicious  thrill.  I  think  I  have  had  a  better  appreciation 
of  what  heaven  may  be  ever  since.'  And  so,  I  have  no  doubt, 
he  had. 

"  The  reception  of  a  lady  was  an  incident  in  the  English 
camp  ;  and  Mrs.  Judson's  fame  had  gone  before  her.  No 
one  better  than  a  true-born  Englishman  can  discern  precisely 
the  measure  of  attention  grateful  to  a  woman  in  her  situa- 
tion ;  and  there  were  innumerable  minute  touches  in  General 
Campbell's  conduct  which  fixed  her  gratitude,  and  more  still 
that  of  her  husband  on  her  account.  It  was  not  that  his  son 
was  sent  with  the  staff  officers  who  came  to  escort  her  from 
the  steamer  ;  nor  that  unexpected  honors,  in  military  guise, 
waited  her  on  the  shore,  where  she  was  received  by  Sir 
Archibald  in  person  ;  nor  that  her  tent  was  larger  and  more 
commodious  than  his  own,  with  the  very  agreeable  addition 
of  a  veranda  ;  but  it  was  a  certain  fatherly  kindness  and 
genuine  heart  interest,  which  made  her  feel  as  though  she 
was  receiving  all  these  favors  from  a  friend. 

"An  incident  that  occurred  a  few  days  after  the  landing  of 
the  prisoners  is  perhaps  worthy  of  notice.     General  Camp- 


278  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

bell  was  to  give  a  dinner  to  the  Burmese  commissioners,  and 
he  chose  to  make  it  an  affair  of  some  pomp  and  magnificence. 
At  a  given  order,  almost  as  by  magic,  the  camp  was  turned 
into  a  scene  of  festivity,  with  such  a  profusion  of  gold  and 
crimson,  and  floating  banners,  as  is  thought  most  pleasing  to 
an  Oriental  eye.  When  the  dinner  hour  arrived,  the  company 
marched  in  couples,  to  the  music  of  the  band,  toward  the 
table,  led  by  the  general,  who  walked  alone.  As  they  came 
opposite  the  tent  with  the  veranda  before  it,  suddenly  the 
music  ceased,  the  whole  procession  stood  still,  and  while  the 
wondering  Burmans  turned  their  eager  eyes  in  every  direc- 
tion, doubtful  as  to  what  would  be  the  next  act  in  the  little 
drama,  so  curious  to  them  as  strangers,  the  general  entered 
the  tent.  In  a  moment  he  reappeared  with  a  lady  on  his 
arm — no  stranger  to  the  conscious  commissioners — whom  he 
led  to  the  table,  and  seated  at  his  own  right  hand.  The 
abashed  commissioners  slid  into  their  seats  shrinkingly, 
where  they  sat  as  though  transfixed  by  a  mixture  of  aston- 
ishment and  fear.  '  I  fancy  these  gentlemen  must  be  old 
acquaintances  of  yours,  Mrs.  Judson,'  General  Campbell  re- 
marked, amused  by  what  he  began  to  suspect,  though  he  did 
not  fully  understand  it;  'and,  judging  from  their  appear- 
ance, you  must  have  treated  them  very  ill.'  Mrs.  Judson 
smiled.  The  Burmans  could  not  understand  the  remark,  but 
they  evidently  considered  themselves  the  subject  of  it,  and 
their  faces  were  blank  with  consternation. 

"  '  What  is  the  matter  with  yonder  owner  of  the  pointed 
beard  ? '  pursued  Sir  Archibald  ;  'he  seems  to  be  seized  with 
an  ague  fit/ 

"  '  I  do  not  know,'  answered  Mrs.  Judson,  fixing  her  eyes 
on  the  trembler,  with  perhaps  a  mischievous  enjoymentof 
his  anxiety,  '  unless  his  memory  may  be  too  busy.  He  is  an 
old  acquaintance  of  mine,  and  may  probably  infer  danger  to 
himself  from  seeing  me  under  your  protection.'     . 

"She  then  proceeded  to  relate  how,  when  her  husband  was 
suffering  from  fever  in  the  stifled  air  of  the  inner  prison,  with 
five  pairs  of  fetters  about  his  ankles,  she  had  walked  several 
Ljuiles  to  this  man's  house  to  ask  a  favor.     She  had  left  home 


LIFE  IN  A  VA  AND  OUNG-PEN-LA.  279 

early  in  the  morning;  but  was  kept  waiting  so  long  that  it 
was  noonday  before  she  proffered  her  request,  and  received 
a  rough  refusal.  She  was  turning  sorrowfully  away,  when 
his  attention  was  attracted  by  the  silk  umbrella  she  carried 
in  her  hand,  and  he  instantly  seized  upon  it.  It  was  in  vain 
that  she  represented  the  danger  of  her  walking  home  with- 
out it ;  told  him  she  had  brought  no  money,  and  could  not 
buy  anything  to  shelter  her  from  the  sun  ;  and  begged  that, 
if  he  took  that,  he  would  at  least  furnish  her  with  a  paper 
one,  to  protect  her  from  the  scorching  heat.  He  laughed, 
and,  turning  the  very  suffering  that  had  wasted  her  into  a 
jest,  told  her  it  was  only  stout  people  who  were  in  danger  of 
a  sunstroke — the  sun  could  not  find  such  as  she  ;  and  so 
turned  her  from  the  door. 

"  Expressions  of  indignation  burst  from  the  lips  of  the 
listening  officers  ;  and,  try  to  restrain  them  as  they  would, 
indignant  glances  did  somewhat  detract  from  that  high  tone 
of  courtesy  which  it  is  an  Englishman's,  and  especially  an 
English  oflficer's,  pride,  to  preserve  in  all  matters  of  hospital- 
ity. The  poor  Burman,  conscience-taught,  seemed  to  under- 
stand everything  that  was  passing,  and  his  features  were  dis- 
torted with  fear  ;  while  his  face,  from  which  the  perspiration 
oozed  painfully,  appeared,  through  his  tawny  skin,  of  a  deathly 
paleness.  It  was  not  in  a  woman's  heart  to  do  other  than 
pity  him  ;  and  Mrs.  Judson  remarked  softly,  in  Burmese, 
that  he  had  nothing  to  fear,  and  then  repeated  the  remark  to 
Sir  Archibald.  The  conversation  immediately  became  gen- 
eral, and  every  means  was  taken  to  reassure  the  timorous 
guests,  but  with  little  success.  There  sat  the  lady,  whom  all 
but  one  of  them  had  personally  treated  with  indignity,  at  the 
right  hand  of  power,  and  her  husband,  just  released  from  his 
chains,  close  beyond  ;  and  they  doubtless  felt  conscious  that 
if  they  and  their  lady  wives  were  in  such  a  position  thev 
would  ask  the  heads  of  their  enemies,  and  the  request  would 
be  granted. 

"  '  I  never  thought  I  was  over  and  above  vindictive,'  re- 
marked Mr.  Judson,  when  he  told  the  story;  'but  really  it 
was  one  of  the  richest  scenes  I  ever  beheld.' 


28o  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIKAM  JUDSON. 

''  A  British  officer,  Major  Calder  Campbell,  describing  an 
adventure  in  Ava  '  in  the  year  1826,  gives  a  beautiful  and 
affecting  description  of  Mrs.  Judson.  Major  Campbell,  then 
a  lieutenant,  when  descending  the  Irrawaddy  River  in  a 
canoe  manned  by  Burmans,  was  attacked  in  the  night,  whil^ 
asleep,  by  his  faithless  boatmen,  and  severely  wounded  and 
robbed.  When  waiting  on  the  beach  with  much  anxiety  and 
distress  for  the  passage  of  some  friendly  bark,  a  row-boat 
was  seen  approaching. 

"  Signals  of  distress  were  made,  and  a  skiff  sent  to  his  as- 
sistance.    The  following  is  the  language  of  the  writer  : 

" '  We  were  taken  on  board.  My  eyes  first  rested  on  the 
thin,  attenuated  form  of  a  lady — a  white  lady  !  the  first  white 
woman  I  had  seen  for  more  than  a  year  !  She  was  standing 
on  the  little  deck  of  the  row-boat,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  a 
sickly-looking  gentleman  with  an  intellectual  cast  of  counte- 
nance, in  whom  I  at  once  recognized  the  husband  or  the 
brother. 

" '  His  dress  and  bearing  pointed  him  out  as  a  missionary. 
I  have  said  that  I  had  not  beheld  a  white  female  for  many 
months  ;  and  now  the  soothing  accents  of  female  words  fell 
upon  my  ears  like  a  household  hymn  of  my  youth. 

"  '  My  wound  was  tenderly  dressed,  my  head  bound  up,  and 
I  was  laid  upon  a  sofa  bed.  With  what  a  thankful  heart  did 
I  breathe  forth  a  blessing  on  these  kind  Samaritans  !  With 
what  delight  did  I  drink  in  the  mild,  gentle  sounds  of  that 
sweet  woman's  voice,  as  she  pressed  me  to  recruit  my 
strength  with  some  of  that  beverage  "which  cheers  but  not 
inebriates!"  She  was  seated  in  a  large  sort  of  swinging 
chair,  of  American  construction,  in  which  her  slight,  emaci- 
ated, but  graceful  form  appeared  almost  ethereal.  Yet,  with 
much  of  heaven,  there  were  still  the  breathings  of  earthly 
feeling  about  her,  for  at  her  feet  rested  a  babe,  a  little,  wan 
baby,  on  which  her  eyes  often  turned  with  all  a  mother's 
love  ;  and  gazing  frequently  upon  her  delicate  features,  with 
a  fond  yet  fearful  glance,  was  that  meek  missionary,  her 
husband.  Her  face  was  pale,  very  pale,  with  that  expression 
of  deep  and  serious  thought  which  speaks  of  the  strong  and 


LIFE  IN  AVA  AND  OUNG-F EN-LA.  281 

vigorous  mind  within  the  frail  and  perishing  body  ;  her 
brown  hair  was  braided  over  a  placid  and  holy  brow  ;  but 
her  hands — those  small,  lily  hands — were  quite  beautiful  ; 
beautiful  they  were,  and  very  wan  ;  for  ah,  they  told  of  dis- 
ease— of  death — death  in  all  its  transparent  grace — when  the 
sickly  blood  shines  through  the  clear  skin,  even  as  the  bright 
poison  lights  up  the  Venetian  glass  which  it  is  about  to 
shatter.  That  lady  was  Mrs.  Judson,  whose  long  captivity 
and  severe  hardships  amongst  the  Burmese  have  since  been 
detailed  in  her  published  journals. 

"  '  I  remained  two  days  with  them  ;  two  delightful  days  they 
were  to  me.  Mrs.  Judson's  powers  of  conversation  were  of 
the  first  order,  and  the  many  affecting  anecdotes  that  she 
gave  us  of  their  long  and  cruel  bondage,  their  struggles  in 
the  cause  of  religion,  and  their  adventures  during  a  long  res- 
idence at  the  court  of  Ava,  gained  a  heightened  interest 
from  the  beautiful,  energetic  simplicity  of  her  language,  as 
well  as  from  the  certainty  I  felt  that  so  fragile  a  flower  as 
she  in  very  truth  was,  had  but  a  brief  season  to  linger  on 
earth. 

" '  Why  is  it  that  we  grieve  to  think  of  the  approaching 
death  of  the  young,  the  virtuous,  the  ready  ?  Alas  !  it  is  the 
selfishness  of  human  nature  that  would  keep  to  itself  the 
purest  and  sweetest  gifts  of  Heaven,  to  encounter  the  blasts 
and  the  blights  of  a  world  where  we  see  them,  rather  than 
that  they  should  be  transplanted  to  a  happier  region,  where  we 
see  them  7iot. 

"'When  I  left  the  kind  Judsons,  I  did  so  with  regret. 
When  I  looked  my  last  on  her  mild,  worn  countenance,  as 
she  issued  some  instructions  to  my  new  set  of  boatmen,  I 
felt  my  eyes  fill  with  prophetic  tears.  They  were  not  per- 
ceived. We  parted,  and  we  never  met  again  ;  nor  is  it  likely 
that  the  wounded  subaltern  was  ever  again  thought  of  by 
those  who  had  succored  him.  Mrs.  Judson  and  her  child 
died  soon  after  the  cessation  of  hostilities.' " 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LIFE     IN     AMHERST. 

1826-1827. 

The  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  by  the  British  and  Bur- 
mese Commissioners  on  the  24th  of  February,  1826.  On 
the  sixth  of  the  following  month,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson, 
with  the  infant  Maria,  left  the  English  army  encamped  at 
Yan-ta-bo.  They  sailed  down  the  Irrawaddy  in  a  British 
gun-boat,  and  arrived  at  Rangoon  March  21,  1826.  Hav- 
ing at  last  emerged  from  the  long  nightmare  of  Oriental 
imprisonment,  Mr.  Judson  turned  to  his  life-work  with  un- 
diminished ardor.  The  English  desired  to  retain  his  valu- 
able services  as  interpreter,  and  offered  him  a  salary  equiva- 
lent to  three  thousand  dollars.  But  the  offer  was  declined. 
Like  the  late  Professor  Agassiz,  he  had  "  no  time  to  make 
money."     He  writes : 

"  I  feel  a  strong  desire  henceforth  to  know  nothing 
among  this  people  but  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified  ;  and 
under  an  abiding  sense  of  the  comparative  worthlessness  of 
all  worldly  things,  to  avoid  every  secular  occupation,  and  all 
literary  and  scientific  pursuits,  and  devote  the  remainder  of 
my  days  to  the  simple  declaration  of  the  all-precious  truths 
of  the  Gospel  of  our  great  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

Mrs.  Judson  had  rapidly  recovered,  and  was  now  in  per- 
fect health. 

"  Even  little  Maria,"  he  writes,  "  who  came  into  the  world 
a   few   months   after   my   imprisonment,   to   aggravate   her 
(282) 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  283 

parents'  woes,  and  who  has  been,  from  very  instinct,  it 
would  seem,  a  poor,  sad,  crying  thing,  begins  to  brighten 
up  her  little  face,  and  be  somewhat  sensible  of  our  happy 
deliverance." 

Dr.  Price  had  been  left  behind  at  Ava.  He  had  entered 
the  service  of  the  Burman  king.  He  thought  it  his  duty 
to  live  and  die  in  the  capital  city ;  and  proposed  to  open  a 
school  for  teaching  several  branches  of  useful  learning, 
such  as  geography,  astronomy,  chemistry,  etc.  And  he 
thought  that  "  in  a  few  years,  perhaps  twenty,  the  whole 
system  of  Burman  religion,  founded  as  it  was  on  false 
astronomy  and  geography,  would  be  completely  under- 
mined and  subverted."- 

When  Mr.  Judson  arrived  at  Rangoon,  he  found  that  his 
little  mission,  the  result  of  ten  years  of  hard  work,  was 
completely  broken  up.  He  had  left  the  Wades  and  Houghs 
in  charge,  but  the  war  had  driven  them  to  Calcutta.  At  the 
very  beginning  of  the  campaign,  before  advancing  up  the 
Irrawaddy  River,  the  English  army  had,  of  course,  captured 
Rangoon,  situated  at  its  mouth — Burmah's  great  seaport. 
Rangoon  offered  but  little  resistance  to  the  foreign  invader. 
The  missionaries,  however,  narrowly  escaped  with  their 
lives.  As  the  English  fleet  approached  the  town,  Mr, 
Hough  and  Mr.  Wade  were  arrested,  imprisoned,  and  even 
put  in  irons.  It  was  in  vain  for  them  to  remonstrate,  say- 
ing that  "  they  were  Americans  and  not  English,"  for  Bur- 
mans  were  not  disposed  to  make  any  such  nice  distinctions. 
The  prison-guard  were  ordered  to  massacre  them  upon  the 
discharge  of  the  first  British  gun.  The  executioners  sharp- 
ened the  instruments  of  death,  and  brandished  them  about 
the  heads  of  the  missionaries,  to  show  with  what  dexterity 
and  pleasure  they  would  execute  the  fatal  orders.  The 
floor  was  strewn  with  sand  to  receive  their  blood.  At  this 
moment  the  foundations  of  the  prison  were  shaken  by  a 
heavy  broadside  from  Her  Majesty's  ship  Liffcy,  and  a 
thirty-two-pound    shot    passed    with    a    tremendous    noise 


284  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

directly  over  the  prison.  The  executioners,  stricken  with 
panic,  threw  down  their  knives  and  fled  from  the  prison, 
fastening  the  door,  however,  behind  them.  Soon  other 
Burmans  came  and  dragged  the  prisoners  to  the  place  of 
execution.  They  were  forced  to  kneel  down.  The  exe- 
cutioner, with  a  large  knife,  was  ordered  to  proceed.  He 
had  just  lifted  it  to  strike  off  the  head  of  the  prisoner 
nearest  him,  when  Mr.  Hough  begged  permission  to  speak 
to  the  officer  in  charge.  He  proposed  that  one  or  two  of 
the  prisoners  be  sent  to  the  English  ships,  and  assured  the 
cowardly  Burman  that  the  firing  would  then  cease  directly. 
At  that  moment  another  broadside  came  from  the  Liffey,  and 
the  Burman  officers  and  men  again  forsook  their  prisoners, 
and  took  refuge  under  the  banks  of  a  neighboring  tank. 

During  all  this  time  Mrs.  Hough  and  Mrs.  Wade  had 
been  exposed  to  the  greatest  danger,  from  which  they  had 
escaped  by  disguising  themselves  as  Burman  women.  Over 
their  own  clothes  they  had  put  the  garments  of  their  serv- 
ants ;  had  dressed  their  heads  in  the  Burman  style  and 
blackened  their  hands  and  faces.  Meanwhile  Sir  Archibald 
Campbell  had  sent  a  message  to  the  governor  of  Rangoon  : 
"  If  the  Burmans  shed  a  drop  of  white  blood,  we  will  lay 
the  whole  country  in  ruins  and  give  no  quarter." 

The  Burman  officials  who  had  been  frightened  from 
their  victims  by  the  discharges  of  artillery,  again  seized 
them,  and  proceeded  to  confine  them  in  a  brick  building. 
Here  they  were  at  last  discovered,  and  rescued  by  the  ad- 
vancing British  troops.  Having  thus  narrowly  escaped 
martyrdom,  Mr.  Hough  and  Mr.  Wade,  with  their  wives, 
embarked  for  Calcutta,  where  they  thought  it  best  to  re- 
main until  the  close  of  the  war.  So  when  Mr.  Judson 
returned  to  Rangoon  he  was  without  a  missionary  associate. 
Mr.  Wade  was  ready  to  join  him  as  soon  as  he  should 
decide  as  to  the  best  place  for  renewed  operations ;  while 
Mr.  Hough  soon  after  entered  the  service  of  the  British 
Government. 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  285 

But  missionary  reinforcements  had  already  come  from 
America.  Mr.  Wade,  while  waiting  in  Calcutta  for  the  war 
to  close,  was  joined  by  George  Dai^a  Boardman,  whose 
brief  and  saintly  career  was  destined  to  make  his  name 
peculiarly  fragrant  to  American  Christians.  He  seemed  an 
ideal  missionary,  so  completely  was  he  fitted  for  his  work 
by  his  scholarly  tastes,  affectionate  disposition,  and  fervent 
piety.  He  had  taken  up  a  newspaper  a  little  while  before, 
and  had  seen  a  notice  of  Colman's  untimely  death  in  Arra- 
can.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  there  flashed  through  his 
mind  the  question  and  answer:  "  Who  will  go  to  fill  his 
place  ?  "     "/will  go." 

He  had  married  Sarah  Hall,  a  native  of  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts. Those  who  knew  her  speak  of  "  faultless  features, 
moulded  on  the  Grecian  model,  beautiful  transparent  skin, 
warm,  meek  blue  eyes,  and  soft  hair,  brown  in  the  shadow 
and  gold  in  the  sun."  She  was  pronounced  by  her  English 
friends  in  Calcutta  to  be  "  the  most  finished  and  faultless 
specimen  of  an  American  woman  that  they  had  ever 
known."  From  her  earliest  years  she  had  possessed  an 
enthusiasm  for  missions.  When  only  thirteen,  she  wrote  a 
poem  upon  the  death  at  Rangoon  of  Mrs.- Judson's  infant 
Roger.  Little  did  the  child  dream  that  many  years  after 
she  was  to  take  the  place  of  the  ideal  heroine  of  her  child- 
hood, who,  worn  out  with  the  prolonged  horrors  of  Ava 
and  Oung-pen-la,  lay  down  to  rest  beneath  the  hopia-tree 
at  Amherst. 

Mr.  Wade  and  Mr.  Boardman  waited  anxiously  in  Cal- 
cutta for  news  from  the  Judsons.  They  did  not,  however, 
wait  in  idleness.  They  were  learning  the  Burman  language, 
as  best  they  could,  and  preaching  in  English  in  the  Circular 
Road  Baptist  chapel,  where  they  were  permitted  to  see,  as 
a  result  of  their  labors,  many  persons  converted  and  bap- 
tized. When  news  came  at  last  from  Mr.  Judson,  they 
were  ready  to  join  him  and  labor  wherever  he  should  think 
it  best. 


2  86  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

But  to  return  to  Mr.  Judson  in  Rangoon.  Not  only  did 
he  find  that  the  white  teachers  and  their  wives  had  been 
driven  away  by  the  jvar,  but  the  native  church  membership 
was  much  reduced.  He  had  left  a  church  of  eighteen  dis- 
ciples. He  found  on  his  return  only  four.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two,  none,  however,  had  disgraced  their  holy 
profession. 

The  learned  teacher,  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  had  gone  into 
the  interior  of  the  country,  and  soon  afterward  died  of  the 
cholera.  The  only  four  whom  Mr.  Judson  could  muster 
after  the  war  had  swept  over  Rangoon  were  Moung  Shwa- 
ba,  who  had  remained  at  the  mission-house;  Moung  Ing, 
who  with  such  fidelity  served  Mrs.  Judson  through  all  her 
long,  bitter  experiences  at  Ava ;  and  two  faithful  women, 
Mah-men-la  and  Mah-doke,  who  had  been  living  in  boats 
at  Prome,  the  half-way  place  between  Rangoon  and  Ava, 
and  who  instantly  resolved  to  accompany  the  Judsons  to 
Rangoon.  These  four  faithful  disciples  were  ready  to  fol- 
low their  white  teacher  wherever  he  should  think  it  best  to 
establish  a  mission. 

It  was  out  of  the  question  to  think  of  remaining  at  Ran- 
goon. The  English  were  only  holding  the  place  temporarily, 
until  the  Burmans  should  pay  their  war  debt.  Indeed,  at 
the  close  of  the  year,  the  English  army  did  vacate  Rangoon, 
and  the  Burmans  resumed  possession  of  their  chief  seaport. 
Should  the  missionaries  therefore  remain  in  Rangoon,  they 
would  still  be  under  the  cruel  sway  of  Burman- despotism. 
In  addition,  the  monarch  at  Ava  was  peculiarly  exasperated 
with  his  subjects  in  the  southern  part  of  the  empire,  because 
they  had  put  themselves  under  the  benignant  protection  of 
the  English ;  many  of  the  peaceful  inhabitants  were  no 
doubt  to  be  massacred  by  the  royal  troops.  A  state  of 
anarchy  followed  the  war.  A  famine  succeeded,  in  which 
beasts  of  prey  became  proportionally  bold.  Tigers  began  to 
infest  the  suburbs  of  Rangoon,  and  carry  off  cattle  and  hu- 
man beings.     A  tiger  was  killed  even  in  the  streets  of  the 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  287 

city.  All  these  circumstances  impelled  the  missionaries  to 
leave  Rangoon. 

It  was  now  no  longer  necessary  for  them  to  remain  there 
in  order  to  reach  the  native  Burmans.  One  of  the  results  of 
the  war  was  that  the  British  had  wrested  from  the  Burmans 
a  large  part  of  their  sea-coast.  The  Tenasserim  provinces 
had  been  ceded  to  the  British.  These  embraced  a  strip  of 
country  along  the  the  sea,  500  miles  long,  and  from  40  to 
80  miles  wide.*  This  country  was  peopled  with  BurmaHS, 
and  the  cruelty  of  the  despot  at  Ava  was  sure  to  cause  a 
large  overflow  of  the  population  of  Burmah  proper  into  it. 
Here  the  Judsons  might  teach  the  new  religion  unmolested, 
under  the  protection  of  the  British  flag. 

But  where  upon  this  long  strip  of  ceded  territory  should 
the  mission  be  established?  Just  at  this  time  Mr.  Judson 
was  invited  by  Mr.  Crawfurd,  the  British  Civil  Commissioner 
of  the  new  province,  to  accompany  him  on  an  exploring  ex- 
pedition. The  purpose  of  the  expedition  was  to  ascertain 
the  best  location  for  a  town,  which  was  to  be  the  capital  of 
the  new  territory — the  seat  of  government  and  the  head- 
quarters of  the  army.  Mr.  Judson's  acquaintance  with  the 
language  of  the  Burmans  made  him  an  invaluable  assistant 
in  such  an  enterprise,  and  finally  Mr.  Judson  and  Mr.  Craw- 
furd selected  as  the  site  for  the  new  city  the  promontory 
where  the  waters  of  the  Salwen  empty  themselves  into  the 
sea.  "  The  climate  was  salubrious,  the  land  high  and  bold 
to  the  seaward,  and  the  view  of  the  distant  hills  of  Ballou 
Island  very  captivating."  The  town,  in  honor  of  the  Gov- 
ernor-General of  India,  was  named  Amherst.  The  procla- 
mation issued  at  the  founding  is  quite  characteristic  of  the 
state  of  society  at  that  time  in  Burmah  : 

"  The  inhabitants  of  the  towns  and  villages  who  wish  to  come,  shall 
be  free  from  molestation,  extortion,  and  oppression.  They  shall  be  free 
to  worship  as  usual,  temples,  monasteries,  priests,  and  holy  men.  The 
people  shall  go  and  come,  buy  and  sell,  do  and  live  as  they  please,  con 

*  See  Map  II. 


288       .  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

forming  to  the  laws.  In  regard  to  slavery,  since  all  men,  common  peo- 
ple or  chiefs,  are  by  nature  equal,  there  shall  be  under  the  English  Gov- 
ernment no  slaves.  Whoever  desires  to  come  to  the  new  town  may 
come  from  all  parts  and  live  happy,  and  those  who  do  not  wish  to  re- 
main, may  go  where  they  please  without  hindrance." 

On  July  2,  1826,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  began  their  mis* 
sionary  life  in  Amherst.  They  had  the  four  faithful  Ran- 
goon converts  as  the  nucleus  of  a  native  church,  and  ex- 
pected soon  to  be  joined  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade,  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boardman.  They  were  among  the  first  settlers, 
and  made  their  home  right  in  the  very  jungle.  There  was 
a  prospect  that  the  new  town  would  have  a  very  rapid 
growth.  Three  hundred  Burmans  had  just  arrived,  and  re- 
ported that  three  thousand  more  were  on  their  way  in  boats. 
It  would  not  seem  strange  if  in  two  or  three  years  a  city  of 
twenty  or  thirty  thousand  inhabitants  should  spring  up  on 
this  salubrious,  wooded  promontory. 

But  before  missionary  operations  were  fairly  begun,  Mr. 
Judson  was  compelled  reluctantly  to  visit  Ava,  the  scene  of 
his  imprisonment.  The  English  Government  desired  to 
negotiate  a  commercial  treaty  with  the  Burman  king  ;  and 
Mr.  Crawfurd,  the  Civil  Commissioner  of  the  newly-ceded 
provinces,  was  appointed  envoy.  He  invited  Mr.  Judson  to 
accompany  him  as  a  member  of  the  embassy.  The  mission- 
ary's profound  knowledge  of  the  Burman  language  and 
character  well  qualified  him  for  the  delicate  and  difficult 
task  of  treating  with  the  court  at  Ava.  At  first  he  firmly 
declined.  He  had  no  relish  for  diplomatic  occupation,  and 
he  longed  to  plunge  again  into  his  own  work.  But  when 
he  was  assured  that,  if  he  would  go  as  an  English  ambassa- 
dor, every  effort  would  be  made  to  secure  the  insertion  of  a 
clause  in  the  treaty  granting  religious  liberty  to  the  Bur- 
mans,  so  that  the  whole  country  would  be  thrown  open  to 
the  Gospel,  he  reluctantly  consented.  The  stubborn  intoler- 
ance of  the  native  Government  had  hitherto  been  the  chief 
obstacle  in  his  missionary  work,  and  religious  freedom  for 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  289 

the  Burmese  was  a  blessing  for  which  he  had  long  prayed 
and  striven  in  vain. 

This  step,  which  proved  to  be  a  most  unfortunate  one, 
was,  however,  the  result  of  the  most  mature  deliberation. 
Mr.  Judson  with  the  English  embassy  arrived  in  Ava 
September  30,  1826,  and  remained  there  about  two  months 
and  a  half.  This  period  embraces  one  of  the  saddest  episodes 
of  his  life.  He  was  forced  to  witness  the  scene  of  his  pro- 
longed sufferings  in  prison,  and  yet  was  separated  from  the 
wife  and  babe  who  had  shared  with  him  those  horrible  ex- 
periences. He  was  engaged  in  the  tedious  and  uncongenial 
task  of  wrestling  as  a  diplomat  with  the  stupidity  and  intoler- 
ance of  the  Burmese  court.  He  soon  learned  that  the  king 
would  on  no  terms  agree  to  a  clause  in  the  treaty  granting 
his  subjects  freedom  of  worship.  And  to  crown  his  sorrows, 
on  the  4th  of  November  there  was  placed  in  his  hands  a 
sealed  letter,  containing  the  intelligence  that  Mrs.  Judson 
was  no  more ! 

After  the  departure  of  her  husband  for  Amherst,  she  had 
begun  her  work  with  good  heart.  She  built  a  little  bamboo 
dwelling-house  and  two  school-houses.  In  one  of  these  she 
gathered  ten  Burman  children  who  were  placed  under  the 
instruction  of  faithful  Moung  Ing ;  while  she  herself  assem- 
bled the  few  native  converts  for  public  worship  every  Sun- 
day.    At  one  time  she  writes  : 

"  My  female  school  will,  I  trust,  soon  be  in  operation. 
Then  you  shall  hear  from  me  constantly." 

And  again : 

"After  all  the  impediments  which  have  retarded  the  prog- 
ress of  our  mission,  after  all  our  sufferings  and  afflictions, 
I  can  not  but  hope  that  God  has  mercy  and  a  blessing  in 
store  for  us.  Let  us  strive  to  obtain  it  by  our  prayers  and 
holy  life." 

But  in   the  midst  of  these  sacred  toils  she  was  smitten 
with    fever.      Her   constitution,  undermined    by  the    hard- 
19 


290  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JVDSON: 

ships  and  sufferings  which  she  had  endured,  could  not  sus- 
tain the  shock,  and  on  October  24,  1826,  in  the  37th  year  of 
her  age,  she  breathed  her  last.  The  hands  so  full  of  holy 
endeavors  were  destined  to  be  suddenly  folded  for  rest. 
She  died  apart  from  him  to  whom  she  had  given  her  heart 
in  her  girlhood,  whose  footsteps  she  had  faithfully  follow- 
ed for  fourteen  years,  over  land  and  sea,  through  trackless 
jungles  and  strange  crowded  cities,  sharing  his  studies  and 
his  privations,  illumining  his  hours  of  gloom  with  her 
beaming  presence,  and  with  a  heroism  and  fidelity  unparal- 
leled in  the  annals  of  missions,  soothing  the  sufferings  of 
his  imprisonment.  He  whom  she  had  thus  loved,  and  who, 
from  his  experience  of  Indian  fever,  might  have  been  able  to 
avert  the  fatal  stroke,  was  far  away  in  Ava-  No  missionary 
was  with  her  when  she  died,  to  speak  words  of  Christian 
consolation.  The  Burman  converts  like  children  gathered 
helplessly  and  broken-heartedly  about  their  luhite  mamma. 
The  hands  of  strangers  smoothed  her  dying  pillow,  and 
their  ears  received  her  last  faint  wandering  utterances. 
Under  such  auspices  as  these  her  white-winged  spirit  took 
its  flight  to  the  brighter  scenes  of  the  new  Jerusalem. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary,  Rev.  Dr. 
Bolles,  Mr.  Judson  wrote: 

"  So  far,  therefore,  as  I  had  a  view  to  the  attainment  of 
religious  toleration  in  accompanying  the  embassy,  I  have 
entirely  failed.  I  feel  the  disappointment  more  deeply  on 
account  of  the  many  tedious  delays  which  have  already  oc- 
curred, and  which  we  anticipate  during  our  return  ;  so  that, 
instead  of  four  or  five  months,  I  shall  be  absent  from  home 
seven  or  eight. 

"But,  above  all,  the  news  of  the  death  of  my  beloved  wife 
has  not  only  thrown  a  gloom  over  all  my  future  prospects, 
but  has  forever  embittered  my  recollections  of  the  present 
journey,  in  consequence  of  which  I  have  been  absent  from 
her  dying  bed,  and  prevented  from  affording  the  spiritual 
comfort  which  her  lonely  circumstances  peculiarly  required 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST. 


291 


and  of  contributing  to  avert  the  fatal  catastrophe  which  has 
deprived  me  of  one  of  the  first  of  women,  the  best  of  wives. 

"  I  commend  myself  and  motherless  child  to  your  sympathy 
and  prayers." 

But  when  writing  to  the  mother  of  his  beloved  wife,  he 
describes  still  more  fully  the  sorrowful  experience  through 
which  he  passed : 

To  Mrs.  Hasseltine,  0/  Bradford,  Mass. 

"  AVA,  December  7,  1S26. 

"  Dear  Mother  Hasseltine  :  This  letter,  though  intended 
for  the  whole  family,  I  address  particularly  to  you  ;  for  it  is 
a  mother's  heart  that  will  be  most  deeply  interested  in  its 
melancholy  details.  I  propose  to  give  you,  at  different  times, 
some  account  of  my  great,  irreparable  loss,  of  which  you  will 
have  heard  before  receiving  this  letter. 

"  I  left  your  daughter,  my  beloved  wife,  at  Amherst,  the 
5th  of  July  last,  in  good  health,  comfortably  situated,  happy 
in  being  out  of  the  reach  of  our  savage  oppressors,  and  an- 
imated in  prospect  of  a  field  of  missionary  labor  opening 
under  the  auspices  of  British  protection.  It  affords  me  some 
comfort  that  she  not  only  consented  to  my  leaving  her,  for 
the  purpose  of  joining  the  present  embassy  to  Ava,  but 
uniformly  gave  her  advice  in  favor  of  the  measure,  whenever 
I  hesitated  concerning  my  duty.  Accordingly  I  left  her. 
On  the  5th  of  July  I  saw  her  for  the  last  time.  Our  parting- 
was  much  less  painful  than  many  others  had  been.  We  had 
been  preserved  through  so  many  trials  and  vicissitudes,  that 
a  separation  of  three  or  four  months,  attended  with  no 
hazards  to  either  party,  seemed  a  light  thing.  We  parted, 
therefore,  with  cheerful  hearts,  confident  of  a  speedy  reunion, 
and  indulging  fond  anticipations  of  future  years  of  domestic 
happiness.  After  my  return  to  Rangoon,  and  subsequent 
arrival  at  Ava,  I  received  several  letters  from  her,  written  in 
her  usual  style,  and  exhibiting  no  subject  of  regret  or  appre- 
hension, except  the  declining  health  of  our  little  daughter, 
Maria.  Her  last  was  dated  the  14th  of  September.  She  says, 
*I  have  this  day  moved  into  the  new  house,  and,  for  the  first 


2  92  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

time  since  we  were  broken  up  at  Ava,  feel  myself  at  home. 
The  house  is  large  and  convenient,  and  if  you  were  here  I 
should  feel  quite  happy.  The  native  population  is  increasing 
very  fast,  and  things  wear  rather  a  favorable  aspect.  Moung 
Ing's  school  has  commenced  with  ten  scholars,  and  more  are 
expected.  Poor  little  Maria  is  still  feeble.  I  sometimes 
hope  she  is  getting  better  ;  then  again  she  declines  to  her 
former  weakness.  When  I  ask  her  where  papa  is,  she  always 
starts  up  and  points  toward  the  sea.  The  servants  behave 
very  well,  and  I  have  no  trouble  about  anything,  excepting 
you  and  Maria.  Pray  take  care  of  yourself,  particularly  as  it 
regards  the  intermittent  fever  at  Ava.  May  God  preserve 
and  bless  you,  and  restore  you  in  safety  to  your  new  and  old 
home,  is  the  prayer  of  your  affectionate  Ann.' 

"  On  the  3d  of  October,  Captain  F.,  civil  superintendent  of 
Amherst,  writes,  'Mrs.  Judson  is  extremely  well.'  Why  she 
did  not  write  herself  by  the  same  opportunity,  I  know  not. 
On  the  i8th,  the  same  gentleman  writes,  'I  can  hardly  think 
it  right  to  tell  you  that  Mrs.  Judson  has  had  an  attack  of 
fever,  as  before  this  reaches  you  she  will,  I  sincerely  trust, 
be  quite  well,  as  it  has  not  been  so  severe  as  to  reduce  her. 
This  was  occasioned  by  too  close  attendance  on  the  child. 
However,  her  cares  have  been  rewarded  in  a  most  extraor- 
dinary manner,  as  the  poor  babe  at  one  time  was  so  reduced 
that  no  rational  hope  could  be  entertained  of  its  recovery  ; 
but  at  present  a  most  favorable  change  has  taken  place,  and 
she  has  improved  wonderfully.  Mrs.  Judson  had  no  fever 
last  night,  so  that  the  intermission  is  now  complete.'  The 
tenor  of  this  letter  was  such  as  to  make  my  mind  quite  easy, 
both  as  it  regarded  the  mother  and  the  child.  My  next 
communication  was  a  letter  with  a  black  seal,  handed  me  by 
a  person,  saying  he  was  sorry  to  have  to  inform  me  of  the 
death  of  the  child.  I  know  not  whether  this  was  a  mistake 
on  his  part,  or  kindly  intended  to  prepare  my  mind  for  the 
real  intelligence.  I  went  into  my  room,  and  opened  the  letter 
with  feelings  of  gratitude  and  joy,  that  at  any  rate  the  mother 
was  spared.  It  was  from  Mr.  B.,  assistant  superintendent  of 
Amherst,  dated  the  26th  of  October,  and  began  thus  : 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  293 

" '  My  dear  Sir  :  To  one  who  has  suffered  so  much,  and  with  such 
exemplary  fortitude,  there  needs  but  little  preface  to  tell  a  tale  of  distress. 
It  were  cruel  indeed  to  torture  you  with  doubt  and  suspense.  To  sum 
up  the  unhappy  tidings  in  a  few  words,  Mrs.  Judson  is  no  tnore.' 

"At  intervals  I  got  through  with  the  dreadful  letter,  and 
proceed  to  give  you  the  substance  as  indelibly  engraven  on 
my  heart  : 

'"Early  in  the  month  she  was  attacked  with  a  most  violent  fever. 
From  the  first  she  felt  a  strong  presentiment  that  she  should  not  recover, 
and  on  the  24th,  about  eight  in  the  evening,  she  expired.  Dr.  R.  was 
quite  assiduous  in  his  attentions,  both  as  friend  and  physician.  Captain 
F.  procured  her  the  services  of  a  European  woman  from  the  45th  regi- 
ment ;  and  be  assured  all  was  done  to  comfort  her  in  her  sufferings,  and 
to  smooth  the  passage  to  the  grave.  We  all  deeply  feel  the  loss  of  this 
excellent  lady,  whose  shortness  of  residence  among  us  was  yet  sufficiently 
long  to  impress  us  with  a  deep  sense  of  her  worth  and  virtues.  It  was 
not  until  about  the  20th  that  Dr.  R.  began  seriously  to  suspect  danger. 
Before  that  period  the  fever  had  abated  at  intervals  ;  but  its  last  approach 
baffled  all  medical  skill.  On  the  morning  of  the  23d,  Mrs.  Judson  spoke 
for  the  last  time.  The  disease  had  then  completed  its  conquest,  and 
from  that  time  up  to  the  moment  of  dissolution,  she  lay  nearly  motion- 
less, and  apparently  quite  insensible.  Yesterday  morning  I  assisted  in 
the  last  melancholy  office  of  putting  her  mortal  remains  in  the  coffin,  and 
in  the  evening  her  funeral  was  attended  by  all  the  European  officers  now 
resident  here.  We  have  buried  her  near  the  spot  where  she  first  landed, 
and  I  have  put  up  a  small,  rude  fence  around  the  grave,  to  protect  it 
from  incautious  intrusions.  Your  Httle  girl,  Maria,  is  much  better.  Mrs. 
W.  has  taken  charge  of  her,  and  I  hope  she  will  continue  to  thrive  under 
her  care.' 

"Two  daj'^s  later,  Captain  Fenwick  writes  thus  to  a  friend 
in  Rangoon  : 

" '  I  trust  that  you  will  be  able  to  find  means  to  inform  our  friend  of 
the  dreadful  loss  he  has  suffered.  Mrs.  Judson  had  slight  attacks  of 
fever  from  the  8th  or  9th  instant,  but  we  had  no  reason  to  apprehend  the 
fatal  result.  I  saw  her  on  the  i8th,  and  at  that  time  she  was  free  from 
fever,  scarcely,  if  at  all,  reduced.  I  was  obliged  to  go  up  the  country  on 
a  sudden  business,  and  did  not  hear  of  her  danger  until  my  return  on  the 
24th,  on  which  day  she  breathed  her  last,  at  8  P.M.  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  give  you  an  account  of  the  gloom  which  the  death  of  this  most  amiable 
woman  has  thrown  over  our  small  society.     You,  who  were  so  well  ac- 


294  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

quainted  with  her,  must  feel  her  loss  more  deeply;  but  we  had  jusl  known 
her  long  enough  to  value  her  acquaintance  as  a  blessing  in  this  remote 
corner.  I  dread  the  effect  it  will  have  on  poor  Judson.  I  am  sure  you 
will  take  every  care  that  this  mournful  intelligence  may  be  opened  to 
him  as  carefully  as  possible.' 

"  The  only  other  communication  on  this  subject  that  has 
reached  me,  is  the  following  line  from  Sir  Archibald  Campbell 
to  the  envoy:  'Poor  Judson  will  be  dreadfully  distressed  at 
the  loss  of  his  good  and  amiable  wife.  She  died  the  other 
day  at  Amherst,  of  remittent  fever,  eighteen  days  ill.' 

"  You  perceive  that  I  have  no  account  whatever  of  the 
state  of  her  mind,  in  view  of  death  and  eternity,  or  of  her 
wishes  concerning  her  darling  babe,  whom  she  loved  most 
intensely.  I  hope  to  glean  some  information  on  these  points 
from  the  physician  who  attended  her,  and  the  native  converts 
who  must  have  been  occasionally  present. 

"  I  will  not  trouble  you,  my  dear  mother,  with  an  account 
of  my  own  private  feelings — the  bitter,  heart-rending  anguish, 
which  for  some  days  would  admit  of  no  mitigation,  and  the 
comfort  which  the  Gospel  subsequently  afforded — the  Gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ,  which  brings  life  and  immortality  to 
light.  Blessed  assurance — and  let  us  apply  it  afresh  to  our 
hearts, — that,  while  I  am  writing  and  you  perusing  these 
lines,  her  spirit  is  resting  and  rejoicing  in  the  heavenly 
paradise, — 

"  '  Where  glories  shine,  and  pleasures  roll 
That  charm,  delight,  transport  the  soul  ; 
And  every  panting  wish  shall  be 
Possessed  of  boundless  bliss  in  Thee.' 

And  there,  my  dear  mother,  we  also  shall  soon  be,  uniting 
and  participating  in  the  felicities  of  heaven  with  her  for 
whom  we  now  mourn.    *  Amen.    Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus.' " 

"Amherst,  February /^,  1827. 

"Amid  the  desolation  that  death  has  made,  I  take  up  my 

pen  once  more  to  address  the  mother  of  my  beloved  Ann.     I 

am  sitting  in  the  house  she  built,  in  the  room  where  she 

breathed  her  last,  and  at  a  window  from  which  I  see  the  tree 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  295 

that  stands  at  the  head  of  her  grave,  and  the  top  of  the 
'  small  rude  fence '  which  they  have  put  up  '  to  protect  it 
from  incautious  intrusion.' 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade  are  living  in  the  house,  having  arrived 
here  about  a  month  after  Ann's  death  ;  and  Mrs,  Wade  has 
taken  charge  of  my  poor  motherless  Maria.  I  was  unable  to 
get  any  accounts  of  the  child  at  Rangoon  ;  and  it  was  only 
on  my  arriving  here,  the  24th  ultimo,  that  I  learned  she  was 
still  alive.  Mr.  Wade  met  me  at  the  landing-place,  and  as  I 
passed  on  to  the  house  one  and  another  of  the  native 
Christians  came  out,  and  when  they  saw  me  they  began  to 
weep.  At  length  we  reached  the  house  ;  and  I  almost  ex- 
pected to  see  my  love  coming  out  to  meet  me,  as  usual.  But 
no  ;  I  saw  only  in  the  arms  of  Mrs.  Wade  a  poor  little  puny 
child,  who  could  not  recognize  her  weeping  father,  and  from 
whose  infant  mind  had  long  been  erased  all  recollection  of 
the  mother  who  had  loved  her  so  much. 

"  She  turned  away  from  me  in  alarm,  and  I,  obliged  to 
seek  comfort  elsewhere,  found  my  way  to  the  grave.  But 
who  ever  obtained  comfort  there  ?  Thence  I  went  to  the 
house  in  which  I  left  her,  and  looked  at  the  spot  where  we 
last  knelt  in  prayer  and  where  we  exchanged  the  parting 
kiss. 

"The  doctor  who  attended  her  has  removed  to  another 
station,  and  the  only  information  I  can  obtain  is  such  as  the 
native  Christians  are  able  to  communicate. 

"  It  seems  that  her  head  was  much  affected  during  her  last 
days,  and  she  said  but  little.  She  sometimes  complained 
thus  :  'The  teacher  is  long  in  coming;  and  the  new  mission- 
aries are  long  in  coming  ;  I  must  die  alone,  and  leave  my 
little  one  ;  but  as  it  is  the  will  of  God,  I  acquiesce  in  His  will. 
I  am  not  afraid  of  death,  but  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  be  able 
to  bear  these  pains.  Tell  the  teacher  that  the  disease  was 
most  violent,  and  I  could  not  write  ;  tell  him  how  I  suffered 
and  died  ;  tell  him  all  that  you  see  ;  and  take  care  of  the 
house  and  things  until  he  returns.'  When  she  was  unable  to 
notice  anything  else,  she  would  still  call  the  child  to  her,  and 
charge  the   nurse  to  be  kind  to  it,  and  indulge  it  in  every- 


296  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

thing,  until  its  father  shall  return.  The  last  day  or  two  she 
lay  almost  senseless  and  motionless,  on  one  side,  her  head 
reclining  on  her  arm,  her  eyes  closed  ;  and  at  eight  in  the 
evening,  with  one  exclamation  of  distress  in  the  Burman  lan- 
guage, she  ceased  to  breathe. 

"February  7.  I  have  been  on  a  visit  to  the  physician  who 
attended  her  in  her  illness.  He  has  the  character  of  a  kind, 
attentive,  and  skillful  practitioner  ;  and  his  communications 
to  me  have  been  rather  consoling.  I  am  now  convinced  that 
everything  possible  was  done,  and  that,  had  I  been  present 
myself,  I  could  not  have  essentially  contributed  to  avert  the 
fatal  termination  of  the  disease.  The  doctor  was  with  her 
twice  a  day,  and  frequently  spent  the  greater  part  of  the 
night  by  her  side.  He  says  that,  from  the  first  attack  of  the 
fever,  she  was  persuaded  she  could  not  recover ;  but  that  her 
mind  was  uniformly  tranquil  and  happy  in  the  prospect  of 
death.  She  only  expressed  occasional  regret  at  leaving  her 
child  and  the  native  Christian  schools  before  her  husband, 
or  another  missionary  famil}^,  could  arrive.  The  last  two  days 
she  was  free  from  pain.  On  her  attention  being  roused  by 
reiterated  questions,  she  replied,  '  I  feel  quite  well,  only  very 
weak.'     These  were  her  last  words. 

"The  doctor  is  decidedly  of  opinion  that  the  fatal  termi- 
nation of  the  fever  is  not  to  be  ascribed  to  the  localities  of 
the  new  settlement,  but  chiefly  to  the  weakness  of  her  consti- 
tution, occasioned  by  the  severe  privations  and  long-pro- 
tracted sufferings  she  endured  at  Ava.  O,  with  what  meek- 
ness, and  patience,  and  magnanimity,  and  Christian  fortitude 
she  bore  those  sufferings  !  And  can  I  wish  they  had  been 
less  ?  Can  I  sacrilegiously  wish  to  rob  her  crown  of  a  single 
gem  ?  Much  she  saw  and  suffered  of  the  evil  of  this  evil 
world,  and  eminently  was  she  qualified  to  relish  and  enjoy 
the  pure  and  holy  rest  into  which  she  has  entered.  True,  she 
has  been  taken  from  a  sphere  in  which  she  was  singularly 
qualified,  by  her  natural  disposition,  her  winning  manners, 
her  devoted  zeal,  and  her  perfect  acquaintance  with  the  lan- 
guage, to  be  extensively  serviceable  to  the  cause  of  Christ  ; 
true,  she  has  been  torn  from  her  husband's  bleeding  heart 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  297 

and  from  her  darling  babe  ;  but  infinite  wisdom  and  love 
have  presided,  as  ever,  in  this  most  afflicting  dispensation. 
Faith  decides  that  it  is  all  right,  and  the  decision  of  faith 
eternity  will  soon  confirm. 

"I  have  only  time  to  add — for  I  am  writing  in  great  haste, 
with  very  short  notice  of  the  present  opportunity  of  sending 
to  Bengal — that  poor  little  Maria,  though  very  feeble,  is,  I 
hope,  recovering  from,  her  long  illness.  She  began  indeed  to 
recover  while  under  the  care  of  the  lady  who  kindly  took 
charge  of  her  at  her  mother's  death  ;  but  when,  after  Mr. 
Wade's  arrival,  she  was  brought  back  to  this  house,  she 
seemed  to  think  that  she  had  returned  to  her  former  home, 
and  had  found  in  Mrs.  Wade  her  own  mother.  And  certainly 
the  most  tender,  affectionate  care  is  not  wanting  to  confirm 
her  in  this  idea." 

Mr.  Judson  returned  to  Amherst  January  24,  1827.  The 
native  Christians  greeted  him  with  the  voice  •£  lamentation, 
for  his  presence  reminded  them  of  the  great  loss  they  had 
sustained  in  the  death  of  Mrs.  Judson.  His  hearth  was  des- 
olate. His  motherless  babe  had  been  tenderly  cared  for  by 
Mrs.  Wade.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade  had  arrived  from  Calcutta 
about  two  months  before,  and  with  them  Mr.  Judson  made 
his  temporary  home.  Two  months  later  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Boardman  arrived,  so  that  the  missionary  force  was  in- 
creased to  five.  The  little  native  church  of  four  members 
was,  however,  reduced  by  the  departure  of  Moung  Ing. 
This  poor  fisherman,  who  had  been  Mrs.  Judson's  faithful 
companion  at  Ava,  had,  of  his  own  accord,  conceived  the 
purpose  of  undertaking  a  missionary  excursion  to  his  late 
fishing-grounds,  Tavoy  and  Mergui,  towns  south  of  Am- 
herst, situated  on  the  Tenasserim  coast.  He  was  henceforth 
to  be  a  fisher  of  men. 

Mr.  Boardman,  in  speaking  of  his  first  meeting  with  Mr. 
Judson,  said,  "  He  looks  as  if  worn  out  with  sufferings  and 
sorrows."  He  did  not,  however,  neglect  his  missionary 
work.     He  met  the  Burmans  for  public  worship  on  Sunday, 


298  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOI^. 

and  each  day  at  family  worship  new  inquirers  stole  in  and 
were  taught  the  religion  of  Christ.  He  was  alst)  busily  em- 
ployed in  revising  the  New  Testament  in  several  points 
which  were  not  satisfactorily  settled  when  the  translation 
was  made ;  for  his  besetting  sin  was,  as  he  himself  described 
it,  "a  lust  for  finishing."  He  completed  two  catechisms  for 
the  use  of  Burman  schools,  the  one  astronomical,  the  other 
geographical,  while  his  sorrowful  heart  sought  comfort  in 
commencing  a  translation  of  the  Book  of  Psalms. 

Little  Maria  was  the  solace  of  his  studies.  But  she,  too, 
was  taken  from  him.  "  On  April  24,  1827,"  he  writes,  "  my 
little  daughter  Maria  breathed  her  last,  aged  two  years  and 
three  months,  and  her  emancipated  spirit  fled,  I  trust,  to  the 
arms  of  her  fond  mother." 

Mr.  Boardman,  who  had  only  just  arrived  from  Calcutta, 
constructed  a  coffin,  and  made  all  the  preparations  for  the 
funeral.  At  wine  o'clock  the  next  day  little  Maria  was 
placed  by  her  mother's  side  beneath  the  hopia-tree.  "After 
leaving  the  grave,"  Mr.  Boardman  writes,  "  we  had  a  de- 
lightful conversation  on  the  kindness  and  tender  mercies  of 
our  heavenly  Father.  Brother  Judson  seemed  carried 
above  his  grief." 

And  so  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine  he  found  himself  alone 
in  the  world,  bereft  of  his  wife  and  two  children. 

To  Mrs.  Hasseltine  he  wrote  : 

"  Amherst,  4;>r»V  26,  1827. 
"  My  little  Maria  lies  by  the  side  of  her  fond  mother.  The 
complaint  to  which  she  was  subject  several  months  proved 
incurable.  She  had  the  best  medical  advice  ;  and  the  kind 
care  of  Mrs.  Wade  could  not  have  been,  in  any  respect,  ex- 
ceeded by  that  of  her  own  mother.  But  all  our  efforts,  and 
prayers,  and  tears  could  not  propitiate  the  cruel  disease  ;  the 
work  of  death  went  forward,  and  after  the  usual  process,  ex- 
cruciating to  a  parent's  heart,  she  ceased  to  breathe  on  the 
24th  instant,  at  3  o'clock  p.m.,  aged  two  years  and  three 
months.  We  then  closed  her  faded  eyes,  and  bound  up  her 
discolored  lips,  where  the  dark  touch  of  death  first  appeared, 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  299 

and  folded  her  little  hands  on  her  cold  breast.  The  next 
morning  we  made  her  last  bed  in  the  small  enclosure  that 
surrounds  her  mother's  lonely  grave.  Together  they  rest  in 
hope,  under  the  hope-tree  {hopid),  which  stands  at  the  head 
of  the  graves  ;  and  together,  I  trust,  their  spirits  are  rejoic- 
ing after  a  short  separation  of  precisely  six  months. 

"And  I  am  left  alone  in  the  wide  world.  My  own  dear 
family  I  have  buried  ;  one  in  Rangoon,  and  two  in  Amherst. 
What  remains  for  me  but  to  hold  myself  in  readiness  to  fol- 
low the  dear  departed  to  that  blessed  world, 

"  '  Where  my  best  friends,  my  kindred  dwell, 
Where  God,  my  Saviour,  reigns.'  " 

The  time  had  now  come  when  the  little  mission  estab- 
lished at  Amherst,  with  such  doleful  omens,  was  to  be 
broken  up.  Amherst  was  being  rapidly  eclipsed  by  the 
town  of  Maulmain,  situated  on  the  coast  about  twenty-five 
miles  farther  north,  at  the  very  mouth  ot  the  Salwen. 
Maulmain  was  also  a  new  town,  the  settlers  building  their 
houses  right  in  a  thick  jungle.  But  within  a  year  of  the 
first  settlement,  while  the  number  of  houses  in  Amherst 
amounted  to  two  hundred  and  thirty,  and  the  population  to 
twelve  hundred,  the  population  of  Maulmain  had  rapidly 
swelled  to  twenty  thousand.  The  reason  for  this  growth 
was  an  unfortunate  misunderstanding  between  the  Civil 
Commissioner,  Mr.  Crawfurd,  and  the  Commander-in-Chief, 
Sir  Archibald  Campbell. 

The  latter  made  Maulmain  instead  of  Amherst  the  head- 
quarters of  his  army.  He  regarded  Maulmain  as  a  more 
strategical  position.  The  harbor,  too,  of  Amherst,  though 
spacious,  and  capable  of  accommodating  ships  of  large  bur- 
den, was  difficult  of  access,  and,  being  farther  out  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Salwen  than  Maulmain,  was  dangerous  during 
the  southwest  monsoon.  The  presence  of  the  commander- 
in-chief  and  of  his  army  at  Maulmain,  naturally  attracted 
emigration  thither,  and  it  soon  became  apparent  that  this 
town  instead  of  Amherst  was  to  be  the  metropolis  of  the 


300  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

ceded  provinces  of  Tenasserim.  Accordingly  it  seemed 
best  to  transfer  the  mission  to  Maulmain.  On  May  28, 
1827,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boardman  removed  thither  from  Am- 
herst, and  took  possession  of  a  frail  bamboo  mission-house, 
situated  about  a  mile  south  of  the  cantonments  of  the  Eng- 
lish army.  The  site  for  the  mission  had  been  presented 
by  Sir  Archibald  Campbell.  "  It  was  a  lonely  spot,  and  the 
thick  jungle  close  at  hand  was  the  haunt  of  wild  beasts 
whose  howls  sounded  dismally  on  their  ears  in  the  night- 
time." 

On  the  loth  of  August  Mr.  Judson  left  Amherst,  and  the 
little  enclosure,  the  hope-tree,  and  the  graves  which  con- 
tained the  mouldering  remains  of  all  that  were  dearest  to 
him  on  earth.  He  joined  the  Boardmans  at  Maulmain,  and 
on  the  14th  of  November  was  followed  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wade,  and  the  native  Christians,  together  with  thirteen 
native  school  children.  Mah-men-la,  however,  the  first  fe- 
male convert  among  the  Burmans,  had  already  been  laid  to 
rest  by  the  side  of  her  white  mamma.  The  following  pathet- 
ic description  of  her  death  is  from  Mr.  Judson's  journal  : 

"  She  was  taken  ill  before  I  left  Amherst.  When  her  case 
became  dangerous,  she  was  removed  to  the  mission-house, 
after  which  she  indulged  but  little  hope  of  recovery.  She 
therefore  made  her  will,  and  gave  up  every  worldly  care.  In 
her  will  she  bequeathed  fifty  rupees  to  her  brother,  the  hus- 
band of  Mah  Doke,  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  the  missionaries, 
and  the  remainder  (two  hundred,  perhaps,)  to  her  two  adopted 
boys.  She  has  left  the  boys  in  our  charge,  most  earnestly 
desiring  and  praying  that  they  may  be  brought  up  in  the 
Christian  religion.  No  one  influenced  her  to  give  us  any 
part  of  her  little  property,  nor  had  we  the  least  idea  that  she 
intended  to  do  so  until  she  desired  Moung  Shwa-ba  to  write 
an  article  to  that  effect. 

"  When  her  will  was  written,  she  said,  *  Now  I  have  done 
with  all  worldly  things.'  Since  that,  she  has  enjoyed  great 
peace  of  mind.     She  does  not  express  a  doubt  that  her  name 


LIFE  IN  AMHERST.  301 

is  written  in  heaven,  and  that  she  is  hastening  to  a  blissful 
immortality.  She  suffers  considerable  pain  with  much  pa- 
tience, and,  in  order  to  fortify  her  mind,  often  compares  her 
sufferings  to  those  of  her  divine  Master.  She  is  not  inclined 
to  converse  much  ;  but  how  delighted  you  would  be  to  hear 
her,  now  and  then,  talk  of  entering  heaven,  and  of  meeting 
Mrs.  Judsofi,  and  other  pious  friends  !  The  other  day,  after 
having  dwelt  for  some  time  on  the  delightful  subject,  and 
mentioned  the  names  of  all  the  friends  she  should  rejoice  to 
meet,  not  omitting  dear  little  Maria,  she  stopped  short  and 
exclaimed,  '  But  first  of  all,  I  shall  hasten  to  where  my  Sav- 
iour sits,  and  fall  down,  and  worship  and  adore  Him,  for  His 
great  love  in  sending  the  teachers  to  show  me  the  way  to 
heaven.'  She  says  that  she  feels  a  choice  in  her  mind  to  die 
now  rather  than  to  be  restored  to  health,  but  desires  that  the 
will  of  God  may  be  done.  She  was  much  gratified  with  your 
letter  to-day,  and  more  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  not  seeing 
you  again  on  earth.  I  feel  it  a  pleasure  to  do  anything  for 
her,  she  is  so  grateful  and  affectionate." 

Sorrows  do  not  come  as  single  spies,  but  by  battalions. 
Six  months  intervened  between  the  deaths  of  Mrs.  Judson 
and  little  Maria,  and  within  three  months  of  the  burial  of 
the  latter,  even  before  leaving  Amherst,  Mr.  Judson  heard 
of  the  death  of  his  venerable  father,  who  departed  this  life 
at  Scituate,  Massachusetts,  November  26,  1826,  in  the  sev- 
enty-fifth year  of  his  age.  Mr.  Judson  writes  these  words 
of  comfort  to  the  beloved  ones  in  the  distant  homestead  at 
Plymouth  : 

"  Maulmain,  December  13,   1827. 

"My  Dear  Mother  and  Sister:  Yours  of  the  5th  Feb- 
ruary last  reached  me  a  few  days  ago,  and  gave  me  the  par- 
ticulars of  that  solemn  event  which  has  laid  the  venerable 
head  of  our  family  in  the  silent  dust.  *  Death,  like  an  over- 
flowing stream,  sweeps  us  away '  into  the  ocean  of  eternity. 
You  have  heard,  from  my  letters  of  December  7,  '26,  and 
May  3,  '27,  of  the  ravages  which  death  has  made  in  my  own 


302  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

dear  family.  I  am  left  alone  in  this  wide  wilderness,  to  wait 
all  the  days  of  my  appointed  time,  till  my  own  change  come. 
I  pray  earnestly  that  you  may  both  enjoy  much  of  the  divine 
presence,  in  your  solitary,  bereaved  circumstances,  and  that 
both  you  and  I  may  be  preparing,  under  the  repeated  strokes 
of  our  heavenly  Father's  hand,  to  follow  the  dear  departed 
ones,  and  enter  upon  the  high  enjoyment  of  everlasting 
life." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LIFE      IN      MAUL  MAIN. 

1827-183I. 

Before  proceeding  directly  to  consider  Mr;  Judson's  life 
in  Maulmain,  it  may  be  well  to  describe  a  peculiar  phase  of 
his  mental  and  spiritual  experience,  which  has  been  termed 
Guyonism.  He  seemed  at  one  time  to  be  inclined  to  em- 
brace the  mystical  tenets  of  Thomas  a  Kempis,  Fenelon, 
and  Madame  Guyon,  and  it  was  feared  that  he  was  leaning 
toward  those  monkish  austerities  which  belong  peculiarly 
to  the  spirit  of  the  Roman  Church.  Certainly  there  are 
passages  here  and  there  in  his  writings  which  point  in  this 
direction.  And  yet,  often  in  these  extracts  it  can  be  dis- 
cerned with  what  cautious  and  stealthy  steps  he  trod  the 
perilous  pathway  leading  toward  monastic  asceticism.  On 
the  occasion  of  sending  a  gift  of  money  to  his  sister  in 
America,  he  writes : 

"  But  I  give  it  on  the  express  condition  that  you  appropri- 
ate part  of  it  to  purchase  for  yourself  the  life  of  Lady  Guyon 
....  and  I  hope  you  will  read  it  diligently,  and  endeavor  to 
emulate  that  most  excellent  saint  so  far  as  she  was  right." 

Again,  he  wrote  to  a  fellow-missionary : 

"As  to  the  other  matter,  the  land  of  Beulah  lies  beyond 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  Many  Christians  spend 
all  their  days  in  a  continual  bustle,  doing  good.  They  are 
too  busy  to  find  either  the  valley  or  Beulah.  *  Virtues  they 
have,  but  are  full  of  the  life  and  attractions  of  nature,  and 

(303) 


304  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

unacquainted  with  the  paths  of  mortification  and  death.  Let 
us  die  as  soon  as  possible,  and  by  whatever  process  God 
shall  appoint.  And  when  we  are  dead  to  the  world,  and 
nature,  and  self,  we  shall  begin  to  live  to  God." 

Again,  to  the  missionaries  at  Maulmain  he  wrote : 
"  Particularly  I  would  exhort  brother  Bennett  to  remem- 
ber, among  other  things,  the  example  of  the  Abbe  de  Paris, 
who,  after  having  tried  various  modes  of  self-denial,  in  order 
to  subdue  his  spirit,  and  gain  the  victory  over  the  world,  at 
length  selected  a  crazy  man  to  be  the  inmate  of  his  miserable 
hovel.  Now,  though  I  am  doubtful  about  self-inflicted  aus- 
terities, I  am  quite  sure  that  evangelical  self-denial  eminently 
consists  in  bearing  patiently  and  gratefully  all  the  inconven- 
iences and  pain  which  God  in  His  providence  brings  upon 
us,  without  making  the  least  attempt  to  remove  them,  unless 
destructive  of  life  or  health,  or,  in  one  word,  capacity  for 
usefulness." 

The  same  pietistic  vein  may  be  found  in  the  following 
resolutions,  bearing  date  May  14,  1829: 

"  I.  Observe  the  seven  seasons  of  secret  prayer  every  day. 

"2.  'Set  a  watch  before  my  mouth,  and  keep  the  door  of 
my  lips.' 

"3.  See  the  hand  of  God  in  all  events,  and  thereby  become 
reconciled  to  His  dispensations. 

"4.  Embrace  every  opportunity  of  exercising  kind  feelings, 
and  doing  good  to  others,  especially  to  the  household  of 
faith. 

"  5.  Consult  the  internal  monitor  on  every  occasion,  and 
instantly  comply  with  his  dictates. 

"  6.  Believe  in  the  doctrine  of  perfect  sanctification  attain- 
able in  this  life." 

It  is  also  true  that  during  this  period  of  his  life  Mr.  Jud- 
son  withdrew  himself  from  general  society.  When  not  di- 
rectly engaged  in  missionary  work,  he  spent  many  of  his 
waking  hours  alone  in  a  bamboo  hermitage,  built  in  the  jungle 
far  from  humankind  among  the  haunts  of  tigers.     Here  in 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  305 

his  endeavor  to  crucify  his  passionate  love  of  life  he  had  a 
grave  dug,  and  "  would  sit  by  the  verge  of  it  and  look  into 
it,  imagining  how  each  feature  and  limb  would  appear,  days, 
months,  and  years  after  he  had  lain  there." 

But  concerning  all  these  traces  of  a  morbid  inclination 
toward  the  monastic  quietism  of  the  Romish  Church,  there 
can  be  no  more  just  and  discriminating  judgment  than  that 
expressed  after  his  death  by  the  tender  and  faithful  com- 
panion of  his  latest  years  : 

"About  Guyonism  I  only  wish  the  papers  were  more  numer- 
ous. There  was  no  error  of  heart — scarcely  one  of  judgment 
in  it,  but  a  peculiar  mental  organization,  driven  by  suffering 
on  suffering,  by  such  bereavement  as  can  never  be  appreci- 
ated in  a  land  like  this,  and  intensity  of  devotion,  to  a  morbid 
development.  A  mind  of  less  strength  or  a  heart  of  less 
truthfulness  and  sincerity  would  have  been  wrecked,  as  many 

a  noble  one  has  been Strong  enthusiasm  of  character 

often  drove  him  into  peculiar  positions,  but  his  sound  judg- 
ment and  elevated  piety  always  carried  him  through  tri- 
umphantly, turning  often  the  natural  temperament  to  good 
account." 

These  excesses  of  self-mortification  were  the  outcome  of 
a  transient  and  superficial  mood  rather  than  of  his  real  and 
underlying  character.  The  slow  torture  of  the  twenty-one 
months  at  Ava  and  Oung-pen-la  had  left  behind  a  residuum 
of  temporary  enfeeblement.  His  strong  mental  vision  was 
for  a  time  beclouded  by  the  mists  which  arose  from  his 
shattered  physical  constitution.  The  loss  of  wife  and  child 
at  Amherst  trod  close  upon  the  sufferings  at  Ava,  and  these 
gloomy  views  and  practices  were  born  during  the  long  en- 
suing domestic  solitude.  The  deep  shadow  of  this  loneli- 
ness lies  athwart  many  of  his  letters. 

To  Mrs.  Hasseltine. 

"  The  Solitary's  Lament. 
"  '  Together  let  us  sweetly  live. 
Together  let  us  die, 
20 


3o6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

And  hand  in  hand  those  crowns  receive 
That  wait  us  in  the  sky.' 

"  Thus  Ann  and  I,  for  many  a  year, 
Together  raised  our  prayer  ; 
One-half  reached  Heaven's  propitious  ear 
One-half  was  lost  in  air. 

"  She  found  a  distant,  lonely  grave, 
Her  foreign  friends  among  ; 
No  kindred  spirit  came  to  save, 
None  o'er  her  death-bed  hung. 

"  Her  dying  thoughts  we  fain  would  know; 
But  who  the  tale  can  tell, 
Save  only  that  she  met  the  foe. 
And  where  they  met  she  fell. 

"And  when  I  came,  and  saw  her  not 
In  all  the  place  around. 
They  pointed  out  a  grassy  spot, 
Where  she  lay  under  ground. 

•'And  soon  another  loved  one  fled. 
And  sought  her  mother's  side  ; 
In  vain  I  stayed  her  drooping  head  ; 
She  panted,  gasped,  and  died. 

"  Thus  one  in  beauty's  bright  array, 
And  one  all  poor  and  pale. 
Have  left  alike  the  realms  of  day, 
And  wandered  down  the  vale — 

"  The  vale  of  death,  so  dark  and  drear, 
Where  all  things  are  forgot  ; 
Where  lie  they  whom  I  lovf  d  so  dear ; 
I  call — they  answer  not. 

"  O,  bitter  cup  which  God  has  given  ! 
Where  can  relief  be  found  ? 
Anon  I  lift  my  eyes  to  heaven, 
Anon  in  tears  they're  drowned. 

"  Yet  He  who  conquered  death  and  hell 
Our  Friend  at  last  will  stand  ; 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  307 

And  all  whom  He  befriends  shall  dwell 
In  Canaan's  happy  land — 

"  Shall  joyful  meet,  no  more  to  part. 
No  more  be  forced  to  sigh, 
That  death  will  chill  the  warmest  heart. 
And  rend  the  closest  tie.  4 

"  Such  promise  throws  a  rainbow  bright 
Death's  darkest  storm  above, 
And  bids  us  catch  the  heaven-born  light, 
And  praise  the  God  of  love. 

"  My  dear  Mother  Hasseltine  :  I  wrote  the  above  lines 
some  time  ago,  and  intended  to  add  a  longer  postscript ;  but 
find  myself  pressed  for  time  at  the  present  moment. 

"  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  had  a  line  from  any  of  your  fam- 
ily. I  hope  you  will  not  quite  forget  me,  but  believe  me 
ever,  Yours  most  affectionately, 

"A.  JUDSON. 
"August  17,  1829." 

To  the  Betinetts  in  Rangoon. 

"  ....  I  never  had  a  tighter  fit  of  low  spirits  than  for 
about  a  week  after  you  had  gone.  I  sometimes  went,  after 
dinner,  to  take  a  solitary  walk  in  the  veranda,  and  sing,  with 
my  harmonious  voice,  '  Heartless  and  hopeless,  life  and  love 
all  gone.'  However,  I  arn  rallying  again,  as  the  doctors  say. 
But  I  have  not  yet  got  the  steam  up  in  the  Old  Testament 
machine.     *  Toil  and  trouble,*  etc.     Heaven  must  be  sweet 

after  all  these  things.     I  have  no  more  to  say I  hope 

you  will  pray  for  me,  for  you  have  not  such  inveterate  habits 
to  struggle  with  as  I  have  contracted  through  a  long  course 
of  religious  sinning.  O,  my  past  years  in  Rangoon  are  spec- 
tres to  haunt  my  soul  ;  and  they  seem  to  laugh  at  me  as  they 
shake  the  chains  they  have  riveted  on  me.  I  can  now  do 
little  more  than  beg  my  younger  brethren  and  sisters  not  to 
live  as  I  have  done,  until  the  Ethiopian  becomes  so  black 
that  his  skin  can  not  be  changed.  And  yet  I  have  sometimes 
sweet  peace  in  Jesus,  which  the  world  can  neither  give  nor 


3o8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

take  away.     O,  the  freeness,  the  richness  of  divine  grace, 
through  the  blood  of  the  cross  ! 

"  Your  affectionate,  unworthy  brother, 

"A.  JUDSON." 

To  the  sisters  of  his  wife  he  wrote  as  follows  : 

"  Maulmain,  October  24,  1828. 

"  My  dear  Sisters  M.  and  A.  :  You  see  from  the  date  that 
it  is  the  second  anniversary  of  the  triumph  of  death  over  all 
my  hopes  of  earthly  bliss.  I  have  this  day  moved  into  a 
small  cottage,  which  I  have  built  in  the  woods,  away  from 
the  haunts  of  men.  It  proves  a  stormy  evening,  and  the  des- 
olation around  me  accords  with  the  desolate  state  of  my 
own  mind,  where  grief  for  the  dear  departed  combines  with 
sorrow  for  present  sin,  and  my  tears  flow  at  the  same  time 
over  the  forsaken  grave  of  my  love  and  over  the  loathsome 
sepulchre  of  my  own  heart." 

"  October  24,  1829. 

"And  now  the  third  anniversary  returns,  and  finds  me  in 
the  same  cottage,  except  it  has  been  removed  nearer  the 
mission-house,  to  make  way  for  a  Government  building.  I 
live  alone.  When  I  wish  to  be  quite  so,  Mrs.  W.  sends  me 
my  food  ;  at  other  times  I  am  within  the  sound  of  a  bell  that 
calls  me  to  meals. 

"  '  Blest  who,  far  from  all  mankind, 
This  world's  shadows  left  behind. 
Hears  from  heaven  a  gentle  strain, 
Whispering  love,  and  loves  again.' 

But  O,  that  strain  I  have  hitherto  listened  in  vain  to  hear,  or 
rather  have  not  listened  aright,  and  therefore  can  not  hear. 

"  Have  either  of  you  learned  the  art  of  real  communion 
with  God,  and  can  you  teach  me  the  first  principles  ?  God 
is  to  me  the  Great  Unknown,  I  believe  in  Him,  but  I  find 
Him  not." 

And  to  his  own  mother  and  sister: 

"I  still  live  alone,  and  board  with  some  one  of  the  families 
that  compose  the  mission.     After  the  Wades  left,  I  boarded 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  309 

with  the  Bennetts.  After  the  Bennetts  left  for  Rangoon,  I 
boarded  with  the  Cutters. '  After  the  Cutters  left  for  Ava,  I 
boarded  with  the  Hancocks,  where  I  now  am.  I  have  no 
family  or  living  creature  about  me  that  I  can  call  my  own, 
except  one  dog,  Fidelia,  which  belonged  to  little  Maria,  and 
which  I  value  more  on  that  account.  Since  the  death  of  her 
little  mistress,  she  has  ever  been  with  me  ;  but  she  is  now 
growing  old,  and  will  die  before  long  ;  and  I  am  sure  I  shall 
shed  more  than  one  tear  when  poor  Fidee  goes." 

The  sadness  of  this  period  was  also  intensified  by  the 
slowness  of  American  Christians  in  sending  on  reinforcements. 
He  often  felt  that  he  had  been  left  out  on  the  skirmish  line 
almost  alone.     He  writes  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary  : 

"  I  am  startled  and  terrified  to  find  that,  by  several  unex- 
pected moves,  I  am  left,  as  it  were,  alone  ;  there  being  not 
another  foreigner  in  all  the  country  that  can  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  perishing  millions,  north  and  south,  or  feed  the 
infant  churches,  except,  indeed,  Mrs.  Bennett,  who  has  begun 
to  take  the  management  of  the  female  meetings.  My  prayers 
to  God  and  my  entreaties  to  my  brethren  at  home  seem  to 
have  equal  eflficacy.  Since  the  last  missionaries  left  home,  I 
perceive  no  further  signs  of  life.  All  seem  to  have  gone  to 
slumbering  and  sleeping." 

In  acknowledging  a  gift  of  iifty  dollars  from  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Grow,  of  Thompson,  Connecticut,  he  wrote  : 

"The  fact  is,  that  we  are  very  weak,  and  have  to  complain 
that  hitherto  we  have  not  been  well  supported  from  home. 
It  is  most  distressing  to  find,  when  we  are  almost  worn  out, 
and  are  sinking,  one  after  another,  into  the  grave,  that  many 
of  our  brethren  in  Christ  at  home  are  just  as  hard  and  im- 
movable as  rocks  ;  just  as  cold  and  repulsive  as  the  mountains 
of  ice  in  the  polar  seas.  But  whatever  they  do,  we  can  not 
sit  still  and  see  the  dear  Burmans,  flesh  and  blood  like  our- 
selves, and  like  ourselves  possessed  of  immortal  souls,  that 
will  shine  forever  in  heaven,  or  burn  forever  in  hell — we  can 
not  see  them  go  down  to  perdition  without  doing  our  very 


3IO  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Utmost  to  save  them.  And  thanks  be  to  God,  our  labors  are 
not  in  vain.  We  have  three  lovely  churches,  and  about  two 
hundred  baptized  converts,  and  some  are  in  glory.  A  spirit 
of  religious  inquiry  is  extensively  spreading  throughout  the 
country,  and  the  signs  of  the  times  indicate  that  the  great 
renovation  of  Burmah  is  drawing  near.  O,  if  we  had  about 
twenty  more  versed  in  the  language,  and  means  to  spread 
schools,  and  tracts,  and  Bibles,  to  any  extent,  how  happy  I 
should  be  !  But  those  rocks  and  those  icy  mountains  have 
crushed  us  down  for  many  years." 

And  at  the  close  of  an  imploring  appeal  for  new  men,  he 
says : 

"  May  God  forgive  all  those  who  desert  us  in  our  extremity. 
May  He  save  them  all.  But  surely,  if  any  sin  will  lie  with 
crushing  weight  on  the  trembling,  shrinking  soul,  when  grim 
death  draws  near  ;  if  any  sin  will  clothe  the  face  of  the  final 
Judge  with  an  angry  frown,  withering  up  the  last  hope  of  the 
condemned,  in  irremediable,  everlasting  despair,  it  is  the  sin 
of  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  the  plaintive  cry  of  ten  millions  of 
immortal  beings,  who,  by  their  darkness  and  misery,  cry,  day 
and  night,  '■Come  to  our  rescue,  ye  bright  sons  and  daughters  of 
America,  come  and  save  us,  for  we  are  sinking  into  hell.'" 

A  letter  written  after  his  death,  by  his  surviving  widow, 
shows  how  intense  was  his  longing  for  the  sympathy  and 
co-operation  of  his  brethren  at  home.  "  I  can  not  regret 
that  Dr.  Judson  has  gone.  I  believe  it  would  have  broken 
his  heart  to  see  Burmah  open,  and  such  a  lack  of  mission- 
ary spirit.  God  spared  him  the  trial,  and  -though  it  has  left 
me  so  very  desolate,  I  feel  a  sort  of  gladness  too,  when  I 
think  of  it.  I  suppose  he  sees  it  there,  but  he  can  under- 
stand it  better." 

After  all,  it  was  his  intense  piety  that  carried  him  into 
these  extremes  of  self-denial.  His  was  a  great  religious 
nature,  wrestling  for  Christ-likeness.  A  small  and  weak 
nature  always  keeps  within  limit.  Soil  that  is  too  thin  for 
grain,  never  produces  weeds.     From  the  time  that  Mr.  Jud- 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  3 1 1 

son  gave  his  heart  to  God  at  Andover,  he  was  possessed 
with  a  consuming  zeal  to  be  made  holy.  On  this  point,  Mrs. 
E.  C.  Judson  says:  "I  was  first  attracted  by  the  freshness, 
the  originality,  if  I  may  so  call  it,  of  his  goodness."  .... 
"  His  religion  mingled  in  his  letters  generally,  and  in  his 
conversation — a  little  silver  thread  that  it  is  impossible  to 
disentangle." 

He  was  a  man  of  prayer.  His  habit  was  to  walk  while 
engaged  in  private  prayer.  One  who  knew  him  most  in- 
timately says  that  "  His  best  and  freest  time  for  meditation 
and  prayer  was  while  walking  rapidly  in  the  open  air.  He, 
however,  attended  to  the  duty  in  his  room,  and  so  well  was 
this  peculiarity  understood  that  when  the  children  heard  a 
somewhat  heavy,  quick,  but  well-measured  tread,  up  and 
down  the  room,  they  would  say,  '  Papa  is  praying.'  " 

"  His  was  the  life,"  one  writes,  "  of  what  the  English 
would  call  'a  good  fellow,'  elevated  and  purified  and  beauti- 
fied by  religion."  Though  he  was  a  most  brilliant  and 
genial  companion,  yet,  in  his  mind,  every  social  relation  was 
a  tie  by  which  men  might  be  drawn  heavenward.  When 
Sir  Archibald  Campbell,  the  hero  of  the  first  Burman  war, 
was  on  the  eve  of  setting  sail  for  his  native  land,  crowned 
with  the  laurels  of  victory,  he  received  from  the  lips  of  the 
humble  and  faithful  ambassador  of  the  cross,  whom  he  had 
befriended,  the  following  tender  and  solemn  words  of  Chris- 
tian admonition  : 

"  Maulmain,  January  8,  1829. 

"  My  dear  Sir  :  A  few  days  ago  I  heard  of  your  intention 
to  leave  this  place  on  your  return  home. 

"When  I  reflect  on  your  many  kindnesses  to  me  and  my 
beloved  wife,  now,  I  trust,  in  heaven,  from  the  time  I  first 
saw  you  at  Yebbay  to  the  present  moment,  and  on  the  many 
pleasant  interviews  with  which  I  have  been  honored,  it  is 
natural  that  I  should  feel  a  desire  to  express  my  gratitude 
for  your  goodness,  and  my  regret  at  your  departure.  But, 
besides  that  desire,  I  have,  for  a  few  days,  had  an  impression 
on  my  mind  which  I  can  not  avoid,  and  dare  not  counteract 


312  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

I  would  fain  say  a  few  words  to  you  on  a  subject  which  you 
have  probably  never  had  a  friend  faithful  enough  to  present 
plainly  to  your  mind.  I  feel  that  I  write  under  the  influence 
of  a  higher  power  ;  and  I  beg  that  if  my  words  offend  you, 
you  will  still  have  the  charity  to  believe  that  I  am  influenced 
by  none  other  than  the  most  disinterested,  affectionate,  and 
respectful  sentiments.  And  though  you  should  at  first  be 
displeased,  I  can  not  but  hope  that  you  will  sometimes  suf- 
fer the  question  to  intrude  on  your  most  retired  moments, 
whether  the  words  I  speak  are  not  the  words  of  eternal 
truth. 

"  But  why  should  I  proceed  with  hesitation  and  fear  ?  Why 
give  way  to  an  unbelieving  heart  ?  He  who  inclines  me  to 
write  will  incline  your  heart  to  receive  my  words.  If  even  a 
heathen  monarch  appointed  one  of  his  courtiers  to  accost 
him  every  morning  with  the  warning  salutation,  '  Philip,  thou 
must  die,'  surely  Sir  Archibald  Campbell,  of  a  Christian 
country  and  Christian  habits,  will  be  willing,  for  a  moment, 
to  turn  awa)'-  his  ear  from  the  voice  of  flattery,  and  listen  to 
the  monitory  voice  of  sober  truth. 

"  And  yet  true  religion  is  a  very  different  thing  from  all 
that  you  have  probably  been  acquainted  with.  True  religion 
is  seldom  to  be  found  among  mitred  prelates  and  high  dig- 
nitaries. It  consists  not  in  attachment  to  any  particular 
church,  nor  in  the  observance  of  any  particular  forms  of 
worship.  Nor  does  it  consist  in  a  mere  abstinence  from 
flagrant  crimes,  a  mere  conformity  to  the  rules  of  honesty  and 
honor.  True  religion  consists  in  a  reunion  of  the  soul  to  that 
great,  omnipresent,  infinite  Being,  from  whom  we  have  all  be- 
come alienated  in  consequence  of  the  fall.  In  our  natural 
state,  we  spend  our  days  in  seeking  the  wealth  and  honors 
of  this  life,  which  we  yet  know  to  be  but  short  and  transitory, 
and  we  become  too  forgetful  of  that  awful  eternity  to  which 
we  are  rapidly  hastening.  So  great  is  the  blinding  influence 
of  sin,  so  successful  are  the  fatal  machinations  of  the  god  of 
this  world,  that  when  we  can  not  stay  the  near  approach  of 
death  and  eternity,  we  still  endeavor  to  quiet  our  conscience 
and  pacify  our  fears  by  vague  and  indefinite  ideas  of   the 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN. 


13 


mercy  of  God,  and  by  the  hope  that  it  will  be  well  with  us 
hereafter,  though  the  still  voice  within  whispers  that  all  is 
wrong  ;  and  thus  we  are  apt  to  suffer  year  after  year  to  pass 
away,  while  we  drink  the  intoxicating  draught  of  pleasure, 
or  climb  the  height  of  human  ambition.  O,  Sir  Archibald, 
the  glittering  colors  of  this  world  will  soon  fade  away  ;  the 
bubbles  of  life  will  soon  burst  and  disappear  ;  the  cold  grave 
will  soon  close  upon  our  worldly  enjoyments,  and  honors, 
and  aspirings  ;  and  where  then  will  our  souls  be  ? 

''God's  own  eternal  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  came 
down  from  heaven  to  rescue  us  from  the  delusion  of  this 
world,  the  power  of  sin,  and  the  doom  of  the  impenitent. 
But  'unless  we  have  the  spirit  of  Christ,  we  are  none  of  His.' 
His  own  divine  lips  have  declared,  'Except  a  man  be  born 
again,  he  can  not  see  the  kingdom  of  God.'  And  the  am- 
bassador of  Christianity  must  not  hesitate  to  declare  this 
solemn  truth,  plainly  and  fearlessly,  to  the  king  and  the  beg- 
gar, the  rich  and  the  poor,  if  he  would  clear  his  own  con- 
science, and  manifest  true  love  to  their  souls. 

"  Allow  me,  then,  to  say  to  thee,  Sir  Archibald  :  Turn  away 
thine  eye  from  the  fleeting  shadows,  and  thine  ear  from  the 
empty  sounds  of  earth.  Open  the  eye  of  thy  mind  to  the 
uncreated  beauties  of  that  divine  Being  who  is  ever  with 
thee,  and  ever  waiting  to  be  gracious.  Listen  to  the  call  of 
His  Holy  Spirit.  Give  thine  heart  to  the  Friend  and  Lover 
of  man,  who  hung  and  died  on  the  cross  to  redeem  us  from 
eternal  woe,  and  thou  shalt  find  such  peace  and  sweetness  as 
thou  hast  never  yet  conceived  of.  Thou  wilt  be  astonished 
that  thou  couldst  have  lived  so  many  years  ignorant  of  such 
transcendent  beauty,  insensible  to  those  excellences  which 
fill  heaven  with  rapture,  and  in  some  instances  make  a  heaven 
of  earth.  But  if  thou  wilt  not  give  thy  heart  to  God,  thou 
wilt  never  find  true  happiness  here,  thou  wilt  never  see  His 
face  in  peace. 

"1  do  not  suppose  that,  amid  your  present  hurry,  you  will 
find  leisure  to  pay  any  attention  to  the  topic  I  now  present. 
But  perhaps  when  oceans  have  intervened  between  us,  when 
resting  in  the. bosom  of  your  own  native  land,  the  truths  of 


314  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

this  letter  may,  through  the  divine  blessing,  find  their  way 
to  your  heart. 

"  Farewell,  Sir  Archibald,  and  while  all  around  you  flatter 
and  praise,  while  the  plaudits  of  your  king  and  country 
sound  in  your  ears,  believe  that  there  is  one  person,  humble 
and  unknown,  who  prays  in  his  retirement  for  your  immortal 
soul  ;  whose  chief  desire  is  to  see  you  on  the  great  day  in- 
vested, not  with  the  insignia  of  earthly  monarchs,  but  with 
the  glorious  crown  of  eternal  life,  and  who  desires  ever  to 
subscribe  himself, 

"  With  heartfelt  affection  and  respect, 

"  Your  sincere  friend  and  faithful  servant, 

"A.    JUDSON." 

In  the  ''Threefold  Cord,*— a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Jud- 
son  to  a  young  convert, — and  in  the  following  '■'■Pencilled 
Fragments'''  and  "Rules  of  Life,''  it  may  be  seen  with 
what  strong  and  eager  wing-beats  of  aspiration  his  soul 
struggled  to  mount  into  the  serene  atmosphere  of  a  pure 
and  holy  life. 

Pencilled  Fragments,  without  date. 

Topics  to  Encourage  Prayer, 

"Wrestling  Jacob. 

"  Friend  at  midnight. 

"The  unjust  judge. 

"  Satan  fights  neither  with  small  nor  great,  save  only  with 
the  spirit  of  prayer. 

"An  effort  made  in  aridity,  in  wandering  of  thought,  under 
a  strong  tendency  to  some  other  occupation,  is  more  pleasing 
to  God,  and  helps  the  soul  forward  in  grace  more  than  a 
long  prayer  without  temptation. 

"  Whatever  others  do,  let  my  life  be  a  life  of  prayer. 

"  Get  the  King's  daughter,  and  you  get  all  ;  the  grace  of 
devotion  is  the  daughter  of  God." 


*  See  Appendix  C 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMA  IN.  315 

Pomts  of  Self-denial. 

"  I.  The  passion  for  neatness,  uniformity,  and  order  in  ar- 
rangement of  things — in  dress,  in  writing,  in  grounds. 

"  2.  A  disposition  to  suffer  annoyance  from  little  impro- 
prieties in  the  behavior  and  conversation  of  others. 

'•  3.  A  desire  to  appear  to  advantage,  to  get  honor  and 
avoid  shame.     '  Come  sha?ne,  come  sorrow,'  etc. 

"  4.  A  desire  for  personal  ease  and  comfort,  and  a  reluc- 
tance to  suffer  inconvenience. 

'•  5.  Unwillingness  to  bear  contradiction." 

Rules  of  Life. 

''Rules  adopted  on  Sunday,  April  4,  1819,  the  era  of  com- 
mencing public  ministrations  among  the  Burmans  ;  revised 
and  re-adopted  on  Saturday,  December  9,  1820,  and  on  Wed- 
nesday, April  25,  1821  : 

"  I.  Be  diligent  in  secret  prayer,  every  morning  and 
evening. 

"  2.  Never  spend  a  moment  in  mere  idleness. 

"  3.  Restrain  natural  appetites  within  the  bounds  of  tem- 
perance and  purity.     '  Keep  thyself  pure.' 

"  4.  Suppress  every  emotion  of  anger  and  ill  will, 

"  5.  Undertake  nothing  from  motives  of  ambition  or  love 
of  fame. 

"  6.  Never  do  that  which,  at  the  moment,  appears  to  be 
displeasing  to  God. 

"  7.  Seek  opportunities  of  making  some  sacrifice  for  the 
good  of  others,  especially  of  believers,  provided  the  sacrifice 
is  not  inconsistent  wij^h  some  duty. 

"  8.  Endeavor  to  rejoice  in  every  loss  and  suffering  in- 
curred for  Christ's  sake  and  the  Gospel's,  remembering  that 
though,  like  death,  they  are  not  to  be  wilfully  incurred,  yet, 
like  death,  they  are  great  gain. 

"  Re-adopted  the  above  rules,  particularly  the  ^t/i,  on  Sun- 
day, August  31,  1823. 

"  Re-adopted  the  above  rules,  particularly  the  1st,  on  Sun- 
day, October  29,  1826,  and  adopted  the  following  minor  rules  ; 

"  I.  Rise  with  the  sun. 


3i6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  2.  Read  a  certain  portion  of  Burman  every  day,  Sundays 
excepted. 

"  3.  Have  the  Scriptures  and  some  devotional  book  in  con- 
stant reading. 

"  4.  Read  no  book  in  English  that  has  not  a  devotional 
tendency. 

"  5.  Suppress  every  unclean  thought  and  look. 

"  Revised  and  re-adopted  all  the  above  rules,  particularly 
the  second  of  the  first  class,  on  Sunday,  March  11,  1827. 

"  God  grant  me  grace  to  keep  the  above  rules,  and  ever 
live  to  His  glory,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake.  A.  Judson." 

"August  g,  1842. 

"  I.  Be  more  careful  to  observe  the  seasons  of  secret 
prayer. 

"  2.  Never  indulge  resentful  feelings  toward  any  person. 

"  3.  Embrace  every  opportunity  of  exercising  kind  feel- 
ings, and  doing  good  to  others,  especially  to  the  household 
of  faith. 

"  4.  Sweet  in  temper,  face,  and  word, 
To  please  an  ever-present  Lord. 

"  Renewed  December  31,  1842. 

^^ December  2)'i-,  1842.  Resolved  to  make  the  desire  to  please 
Christ  the  grand  motive  of  all  my  actions." 

It  may  be  well  to  glance  at  some  of  the  forms  of  exces- 
sive self-mortification  which  this  great  religious  nature 
assumed  under  the  stress  of  sickness,  sorrow,  and  solitude. 
He  was  reared  in  the  sound  common-sense  views  of  New 
England.  He  knew  the  value  of  moi>ey  and  the  necessity 
of  providing  for  the  future  by  thrifty  habits  and  close 
economy.  Now  all  this  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  give  up. 
His  advice  to  young  men  who  were  coming  out  as  mission- 
aries was,  "  Never  lay  up  money  for  yourselves  or  your 
families.  Trust  in  God  from  day  to  day,  and  verily  you 
shall  be  fed."  He  was  allowed  by  the  Governor-General 
of  India  five  thousand  two  hundred  rupees,*  in   considera- 


*  About  $2,600. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  3 1  7 

tion  of  his  services  at  the  treaty  of  Yandabo  and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  embassy  to  Ava.  Besides  this,  the  presents  he 
received  while  at  Ava  amounted  to  two  thousand  rupees.* 
All  this  money  he  paid  into  the  treasury  of  the  mission. 
Nor  did  he  regard  this  as  a  donation.  His  view  was  that 
whatever  a  missionary  might  earn  by  such  necessary  and 
incidental  outside  work  belonged,  in  the  nature  of  the  case, 
to  the  Board  by  which  he  was  employed.  But  not  only 
did  he  cheerfully  give  up  these  perquisites,  but  at  a  single 
stroke  he  transferred  to  the  mission  all  of  his  private  prop- 
erty, the  slow  accumulation  of  many  years  of  thrift.  He 
thus  wrote  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary: 

"Maulmain,  May-y.,  1S28. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  When  I  left  America,  I  brought 
with  me  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  the  avails  of  my  own 
earnings  and  the  gifts  of  my  relatives  and  personal  friends. 
This  money  has  been  accumulating  at  interest  for  many 
years  under  the  management  of  a  kind  friend  to  the  mission, 
and  occasionally  receiving  accessions  from  other  quarters, 
particularly  at  the  close  of  the  late  war,  until  it  amounts  to 
twelve  thousand  rupees.  I  now  beg  leave  to  present  it  to  the 
Board,  or  rather  to  Him  'who  loved  us  and  washed  us  from 
our  sins  in  His  own  blood.'  I  am  taking  measures  to  have 
the  money  paid  to  the  agent  of  the  Board,  and  the  payment 
will,  I  trust,  be  effected  by  the  end  of  this  year. 

"  I  would  suggest,  lest  a  temporary  suspension  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  remitting  money  should  occasion  some  relaxation 
of  the  usual  efforts  made  to  meet  the  current  expenses  of  the 
mission,  whether  it  may  not  be  advisable  to  invest  a  sum 
equivalent  to  that  which  I  now  pay  the  agent,  viz.,  six  thou- 
sand dollars,  as  part  of  a  permanent  fund.  But  this  I  leave 
entirely  to  the  discretion  of  the  Board. 

"Yours,  faithfully, 

"A  Missionary. 

"P.  S. — It  is  not  from  an  affected  desire  of  concealment 


*  About  $1,000. 


3i8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

that  the  writer  has  subscribed  himself  '  A  Missionary.'  He 
is  sensible  that  the  tenor  of  the  letter  will,  to  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  mission,  sufficiently  betray 
him.  But  this  is  not  the  case  with  the  public  in  general  ; 
and  so  far  as  it  may  be  thought  desirable  not  to  throw  away 
the  influence  of  example,  it  is  quite  sufficient  to  tell  the  pub- 
lic that  the  money  is  given  by  a  missionary,  without  specify- 
ing the  individual." 

And  not  only  so,  but  he  and  Mr.  Wade  proposed  to  re- 
linquish a  twentieth,  and  conditionally,  even  a  tenth  of  theit 
respective  salaries,  and  afterward  he  desired  to  have  his  own 
salary  lessened  by  one-quarter. 

Letters  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary. 

"Maulmain,  Septefnber  i,  182S. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  Since  it  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  want 
of  money,  rather  than  to  that  of  men,  that  the  Baptists  in  the 
United  States  of  America  make  such  feeble  efforts  to  send 
the  Gospel  through  the  world,  inasmuch  as  the  want  of 
money  prevents  the  managers  of  missions  from  presenting 
those  invitations  and  encouragements  which  would  be  gladly 
embraced  by  many  young  men  who  are  waiting  the  call  of 
Providence,  we  feel  the  importance  of  recurring  practically 
to  the  golden  rule,  that  every  iiidividiial  do  his  duty  in  furnish- 
ing those  means  which  are  absolutely  necessary  to  carry  on 
the  great  war  with  the  prince  of  darkness  and  his  legions  in 
this  fallen  world.  Feeling,  also,  that  missionaries  and  min- 
isters are  under  peculiar  obligations,  beyond  any  other  classes 
of  Christians,  to  take  the  lead  in  contributing  of  their  substance, 
and  encouraged  by  our  Saviour's  commendation  of  the  poor 
widow  in  the  Gospel,  we  have  entered  on  a  course  of  living 
which  will,  we  hope,  enable  us  to  offer  our  two  mites  ;  and 
we  propose,  therefore,  to  relinquish  annually  one-twentieth 
of  the  allowance  which  we  receive  from  the  Board  of  Mis- 
sions. 

"We  respectfully  suggest  that  a  similar  proposal  be  made 
to  the  Baptist  ministers  in  the  United  States  ;  and  we  engage 
that,  as  soon  as  it  shall  appear  that  one  hundred  ministers, 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMA  IN.  3 1  g 

including  ourselves,  have  resolved  to  transmit  annually  to 
the  treasurer  of  the  American  Baptist  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions one-twentieth  of  all  their  regular  income,  whether  de- 
rived from  their  salaries  or  estates,  we  will  relinquish  a 
second  twentieth  of  our  allowance,  that  is,  one-tenth  of  the 
whole. 

"  And  lest  it  be  said  that  we  now  receive  high  allowances, 
and  can,  therefore,  afford  to  make  some  retrenchment,  we 
state,  not  by  way  of  ostentation,  but  merely  to  meet  the  re- 
mark, that,  considering  our  allowances  cover  all  our  personal 
expenses  except  building  or  house  rent,  conveyance  on  mis- 
sion business,  and  charges  for  medical  attendance,  we  receive 
less  than  any  English  missionaries  of  any  denomination,  in 
any  part  of  the  East,  and  as  little  as  any  American  mission- 
aries in  those  parts,  notwithstanding  the  expense  of  living  on 
this  coast  is  probably  greater  than  at  a  majority  of  other 
stations.  We  remain,  yours  faithfully, 

"A.    JUDSON, 

"J.  Wade." 

"  Maulmaix,  June  19,  1829. 

"  My  dear  Sir  :  I  propose,  from  this  date,  to  lessen  my 
usual  allowance  by  one-quarter,  finding,  from  experience,  that 
my  present  mode  of  living  will  admit  the  retrenchment ;  this 
arrangement  not  to  interfere  with  the  proposals  made  under 
date  of  September  last,  concerning  the  one-twentieth  and 
one-tenth.  Yours  faithfully, 

"A.    JUDSON  " 

But  love  of  money  was  not  the  only  worldly  appetite 
which  he  nailed  to  the  cross.  He  cut  to  the  quick  that 
passion  for  fame  which  was  an  inborn  trait,  and  which  had 
been  inordinately  stimulated  by  his  parents  during  his 
earliest  childhood.  His  overweening  ambition  received  its 
first  mortal  wound,  as  he  often  remarked,  when  he  became 
a  Baptist.  He  declined  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  conferred  upon  him  by  the  corporation  of  Brown 
University  in  1823,  and  in  May,  1828,  wrote  as  follows  to 
the  editor  of  the  Missionary  Magazine  : 


320  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  I  beg  to  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  request- 
ing my  correspondents  and  friends,  through  the  medium  of 
your  magazine,  no  longer  to  apply  to  my  name  the  title 
which  was  conferred  on  me  in  the  year  1823  by  the  corpora- 
tion of  Brown  University,  and  which,  with  all  deference  and 
respect  for  that  honorable  body,  I  hereby  resign. 

"Nearly  three  years  elapsed  before  I  was  informed  of  the 
honor  done  me,  and  two  years  more  have  been  suffered  to 
pass,  partly  from  the  groundless  idea  that  it  was  too  late  to 
decline  the  honor,  and  partly  through  fear  of  doing  what 
might  seem  to  reflect  on  those  who  have  taken  a  different 
course,  or  be  liable  to  the  charge  of  affected  singularity,  or 
superstitious  preciseness.  But  I  am  now  convinced  that  the 
commands  of  Christ  and  the  general  spirit  of  the  Gospel  are 
paramount  to  all  prudential  considerations,  and  I  only  regret 
that  I  have  so  long  delayed  to  make  this  communication. 
"  Yours,  etc.,  A.  Judson." 

The  difficulty  of  writing  his  biography  is  enhanced  by  the 
fact  that  he  destroyed,  as  far  as  possible,  all  his  correspond- 
ence, including/a  letter  of  thanks  for  his  services  from  the 
Governor-Geniral  of  India,  and  other  papers  of  a  similar 
kind.  He  sej^med  determined  that  his  friends  should  have 
no  material  with  which  to  construct  eulogiums.  He  wanted 
to  do  his  work  and  then  forget  all  about  it,  and  have  every- 
one else  also  forget  it.  He  was  like  a  bee  that  flies  into  the 
hive  with  her  load  of  pollen,  and  depositing  it  there,  flies 
away  again,  without  looking  behind,  leaving  it  for  the  other 
bees  to  pack  it  away  in  the  cell.  How  little  to  the  taste  of 
his  sister  must  it  have  been  to  receive  from  her  brother,  of 
whom  she  was  so  justly  proud,  such  a  commission  as  this: 

"  Maulmain,  May  28,  1829. 

"  My  dear  Sister  :  Yours  of  October  i6th  last  arrived  yes- 
terday. In  regard  to  the  quitclaim,  it  is  impossible  for  me 
to  ascertain,  at  this  distance,  what  particular  forms  are  re- 
quii-ed  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States.  But  if  you,  or 
brother,  or  any  person  will  send  me  such  an  instrument  as 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN. 


321 


the  case  requires,  I  will  complete  and  return  it.  I  am  rathei 
glad,  however,  that  the  first  did  not  answer,  because  I  have 
now  a  request  to  make  which  I  doubt  whether  you  would 
comply  with,  if  I  did  not  make  your  compliance  a  condition 
of  my  returning  you  the  said  instrument.  My  request  is,  that 
you  will  entirely  destroy  all  my  old  letters  which  are  in  your 
and  mother's  hands,  unless  it  be  three  or  four  of  the  later 
ones,  which  you  may  wish  to  keep  as  mementoes.  There 
are  several  reasons  for  this  measure,  which  it  would  take  too 
much  time  to  detail.  Suffice  it  to  say,  tjiat  I  am  so  very  de- 
sirous of  effecting  a  complete  destruction  of  all  my  old  writ- 
ings, that  you  must  allow  me  to  say  positively  (as  the  only 
means  of  bringing  you  to  terms)  that  I  can  not  send  you  the 
instrument  you  desire  until  I  have  an  assurance,  under  your 
hand,  that  there  is  nothing  remaining,  except  as  mentioned 
above." 

Again,  Mr.  Judson  had  a  very  strong-  relish  for  literature 
and  linguistic  research.  One  can  no l-^  fail  to  observe  the 
poetic  gems,  original  and  quoted,  scattered  through  his  cor- 
respondence. The  Burman  literature,  with  its  Buddhistic 
books  and  its  fascinating  poetry,  was  a  vast  mine  unex- 
plored. He  was  tempted  to  trace  the  winding  paths  which 
were  ever  opening  before  his  scholarly  mind,  and  to  search 
this  great  and  ancient  treasure-vault.  Might  he  not  trans- 
late into  English  some  beautiful  fragments  of  this  literature, 
and  so  enkindle  in  some  of  the  highly-organized  minds  of 
the  Western  world  a  greater  interest  in  foreign  missions  ? 
But  no.  He  turned  resolutely  away  from  the  alluring  pros- 
pect. He  was  determined  not  to  know  anything  among  the 
Burmans  save  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified.  As  a  mis- 
sionary he  was  unwilling  to  disperse  his  mental  forces  over 
the  wide  surface  of  literary  and  philosophical  pursuit,  but 
insisted  on  moving  along  the  narrow  and  divinely-appointed 
groove  of  unfolding  the  word  of  God  and  meting  it  out  to 
suit  the  wants  of  perishing  man. 

But  perhaps  the  severest  sacrifice  of  all  was  the  denial  of 
21 


322  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON'. 

his  social  instincts.  It  was  not  because  he  was  unendowed 
with  social  sensibility  that  he  so  cut  himself  off  from  the 
State  or  conventional  dinner  and  from  a  fashionable  inter- 
course with  Sir  Archibald  Campbell,  and  other  cultivated 
Englishmen,  as  to  incur  the  stigma  of  being  called  "  odd." 
He  did  not  withdraw  to  his  hermitage  in  the  jungle  because 
he  was  a  fierce  and  sullen  fanatic.  On  the  contrary,  one 
who  knew  him  most  intimately  says  that  "  Perhaps  his  most 
remarkable  characteristic  to  a  superficial  observer  was  the 
extent  and  thorou^ily  genial  nature  of  his  sociableness." 
Indeed,  there  was  a  spice  of  truth  in  the  remark  sneeringly 
made  by  a  fashionable  woman  that  "  Judson  abstained  from 
society  not  from  principle,  but  from  cowardice^he  was  like 
the  drunkard  who  was  afraid  to  taste  lest  he  should  not 
know  when  to  stop."  "  His  ready  humor,"  Mrs.  Judson 
writes,  "his  aptness  at  illustration,  his  free  flow  of  generous, 
gentlemanly  feeling  made  his  conversation  peculiarly  bril- 
liant and  attractive,  at\d  such  interchanges  of  thought  and 
feeling  were  his  delight."  "  He  was  not,"  she  adds,  "  a  born 
angel,  shut  without  the  pale  of  humanity  by  his  religion." 
His  was  not  the  stern,  unaesthetic  nature  of  the  great  re- 
former and  theologian  who,  though  he  lived  his  life  on  the 
Lake  of  Geneva,  nowhere  betrays,  in  his  voluminous  writ- 
ings, that  he  was  at  all  conscious  of  the  beautiful  panorama 
spread  out  before  him.  He  was,  as  has  been  said  of  another, 
"  a  creature  who  entered  into  everj'  one's  feelings,  and  could 
take  the  pressure  of  their  thought  instead  of  urging  his  own 
»vith  iron  resistance."     He  was,  in  truth, 

".  .  .  .  Not  too  bright  or  good 
For  human  nature's  daily  food  ; 
For  transient  sorrows,  simple  wiles, 
Praise,  blame,  love,  kisses,  tears,  and  smiles." 

The  author,  among  his  own  scanty  childhood  recollections 
of  his  father,  well  remembers  the  tenderness  with  which  he 
nursed  his  sick  boy;  and  a  missionary  associate  says,  "He 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN.      .  -^^z^ 

had  a  peculiarly  fascinating  way  of  endearing  himself  to 
everybody  whose  hearts  were  open  to  his  kindness."  Mrs, 
E.  C.  Judson  writes  : 

"  He  was  always  planning  pleasant  little  surprises  for  his 
family  and  neighbors,  and  kept  up  through  his  married  life 
those  little  lover-like  attentions  which  I  believe  husbands  are 
apt  to  forget.  There  was,  and  always  must  have  been,  a 
kind  of  rotnance  about  him  (you  will  understand  that  I  use 
the  word  italicized  for  want  of  a  better)  which  prevented 
every-day  life  with  him  from  ever  being  commonplace.  If 
he  went  out  before  I  was  awake  in  the  morning,  very  likely 
some  pretty  message  would  be  pinned  to  my  mosquito-cur- 
tain. If  he  was  obliged  to  stay  at  a  business-meeting,  or  any 
such  place,  longer  than  he  thought  I  expected  (and  often 
when  he  did  not  stay  over  the  time),  some  little  pencilled 
line  that  he  could  trace  without  attracting  attention,  would 
be  dispatched  to  me.  And  often  when  he  sat  at  his  study- 
table,  something  droll  or  tender  or  encouraging  or  suggestive 
of  thought,  pencilled  on  a  broken  scrap  of  paper,  sometimes 
the  margin  of  a  newspaper,  was  every  little  while  finding  its 

way  to  my  room He  was  always  earnest,  enthusiastic, 

sympathizing,  even  in  the  smallest  trifles,  tender,  delicate, 
and  considerate — never  moody,  as  he  has  sometimes  been  de- 
scribed, but  equally  communicative,  whether  sad  or  cheerful. 
....  He  was  always,  even  in  his  playfulness,  intellectual  ; 
and  the  more  familiar,  the  more  elevated." 

The  little  thoughtful  attentions  which  he  was  continually 
paying  to  his  fellow-missionaries,  betrayed  with  what  hearti- 
ness he  entered  into  all  their  joys  and  sorrows.  His  friends, 
the  Bennetts,  had  sent  their  children  to  America.  One  day 
Mr.  Judson  surprised  them  with  a  present  of  the  portraits 
of  their  absent  little  ones,  for  which  he  had  himself  sent  to 
this  country.  His  genial  appreciation  of  the  kindness  of 
o  hers  beams  from  this  little  card  that  found  its  way  into 
the  missionary  magazine : 

"A.  Judson  desires  to  present,  through  the  American  Baptist 


324  TIIE*LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSO:.'. 

Magazine,  his  thanks  to  the  many  kind  friends  of  himself  and 
the  mission,  who  have  sent  him,  by  the  hands  of  brother  and 
sister  Wade,  and  their  associates,  various  donations  of  wear- 
ing apparel,  books,  stationery,  etc.  Some  of  the  articles  are 
of  great  value,  and  all  of  them  are  very  acceptable,  being 
such  as  he  requires  for  daily  use.  The  faces  of  the  donors 
he  knows  not ;  but  many  of  their  names  he  has  marked,  and 
the  notes  and  letters  accompanying  the  presents  have  repeat- 
edly called  forth  the  tear  of  gratitude  and  love.  The  ac- 
quaintance thus  commenced,  though  not  personal,  he  expects 
will  be  perfected  in  that  world  where  there  is  no  sea  to  sepa- 
rate friends,  no  barrier  to  impede  the  interchange  of  mutual 
love.  And  he  rejoices  in  the  belief  that  every  distant  ex- 
pression and  recognition  of  fraternal  affection  here  below 
will  form  an  additional  tie,  binding  heart  to  heart,  in  the 
world  above  ;  that  every  cup  of  cold  water  given  to  a  disciple 
will  become  a  perennial  stream,  flowing  on  from  age  to  age, 
and  swelling  the  heavenly  tide  of  life  and  gladness." 

He  had  a  remarkable  gift  for  comforting  people,  and  was 
indeed  a  son  of  consolation.  A  lady  to  whom  he  paid  a 
visit  of  condolence  upon  the  death  of  her  mother  wrote  to 
her  friend,  "  He  must  have  been  peculiarly  sympathetic 
himself,  or  he  could  not  have  entered  into  every  one's  sor- 
rows so  easily."  To  this  trait  in  his  character  the  wife  who 
survived  him  bears  eloquent  testimony  : 

"  Before  Sir  Archibald  Campbell  left  the  provinces,  he  took 
his  stand  and  never  attended  a  fashionable  dinner  afterward. 
He.  gradually,  too,  broke  off  from  intimate  association  with 
the  missionaries,  partly,  perhaps,  from  a  lack  of  congeniality 
of  thought,  partly  from  his  sense  of  the  worth  of  time.  It 
any  one  was  in  trouble,  however,  he  was  sure  to  be  there, 
and  his  power  to  soothe  I  have  never  seen  equalled.  Every 
tone  of  his  voice  seemed  calculated  to  touch  the  innermost 
chord  of  a  troubled  heart." 

How  exquisitely  soothing  are  the  words  with  which  he 
strives  to  comfort  a  heart-broken  mother,  weeping  in  her 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


325 


room  after  her  husband  has  gone  on  board  ship  with  her 
little  girls,  about  to  sail  for  America. 

'•  Sovereign  love  appoints  the  measure 
And  the  number  of  our  pains, 
And  is  pleased  when  we  take  pleasure 
In  the  trials  He  ordains." 

"  Infinite  love,  my  dear  sister,  in  the  person  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  is  even  now  looking  down  upon  you,  and  will  smile  if 
you  offer  Him  your  bleeding,  breaking  heart.  All  created 
excellence  and  all  ardor  of  affection  proceed  from  Him.  He 
loves  you  far  more  than  you  love  your  children  ;  and  He 
loves  them  also,  when  presented  in  the  arms  of  faith,  far 
more  than  you  can  conceive.  Give  them  up,  therefore,  to  His 
tender  care.  He  will,  I  trust,  restore  them  to  you  under 
greater  advantages,  and  united  to  Himself  ;  and  you,  who 
now  sow  in  tears,  shall  reap  in  joy.  And  on  the  bright 
plains  of  heaven  they  shall  dwell  in  your  arms  forever,  and 
you  shall  hear  their  celestial  songs,  sweetened  and  heightened 
by  your  present  sacrifices  and  tears. 

"Yours,  A.  JuDSON." 

Again  he  writes  to  the  same  bereaved  lady : 

"  What  a  miserable  world  is  this  !  No  sooner  does  the 
heart's  pulse  begin  to  take  a  little  hold,  than  snap  it  goes. 
How  many  times  more  shall  I  have  to  sing  that  melancholy 
ditty— 

"  '  Had  we  never  loved  so  kindly, 
Had  we  never  loved  so  blindly, 
Never  met,  or  never  parted. 
We  had  ne'er  been  broken-hearted  ! ' 

Even  those  poor  culprits,  Elsina  and  Mary,  do  so  frequently 
squeeze  out  the  tear,  that  it  is  painful  to  think  of  them.  I 
don't  wonder  that  you  say  your  heart  is  ready  to  break.  I 
almost  wonder  how  you  can  breathe.  And  I  don't  think  that 
Mrs.  Wade's  sweet,  but  cruel  letters  have  helped  the  matter  at 
all.  But  be  patient,  poor  soul  !  Heaven  will  be  sweeter  for 
all  this,  though  you  may  be  unwilling  to  believe  it.     And  we 


326  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  yUDSON. 

have  every  reason  to  pray  and  to  hope  that  the  dear  absent 
ones  will  be  with  you  to  all  eternity." 

From  what  has  been  written  on  the  subject  of  Guyonisni, 
it  can  easily  be  seen  how  near  at  one  period  of  his  life,  un- 
der the  stress  of  grief  and  physical  enfeeblement,  Mr.  Jud- 
son  approached  the  perilous  verge  of  fanaticism.  He,  how- 
ever, soon  recovered  his  mental  and  spiritual  equilibrium, 
and  in  the  busy  whirl  of  missionary  activity,  and  later  in 
the  formation  of  new  social  and  domestic  relations,  threw 
off  whatever  excesses  may  temporarily  have  characterized 
his  views  and  practices  of  self-denial.  We  subjoin  a  frag- 
ment, probably  a  scrap  torn  from  the  close  of  a  letter : 

"  Leaving  one  party  to  prove  that  the  standard  of  Christian 
morality  is  lowered  since  the  days  of  the  apostles,  and  another 
party  to  assert  and  expect  the  restoration  of  miraculous  pow- 
ers, let  us  adopt  a  middle  course,  the  golden  medium — Holy 
AS  THE  APOSTLES,  WITHOUT  THEIR  POWER — and  then  '  the  glory 
of  this  latter  house  shall  be  greater  than  that  of  the  former.'  " 

Having  thus  turned  aside  to  study  the  peculiar  phase  of 
spiritual  experience  through  which  Mr.  Judson  passed,  that 
we  might  catch  as  through  a  window  a  glimpse  of  the  very 
interior  of  his  character,  we  now  resume  the  narrative  of  his 
incessant  toils.  We  left  him  by  the  freshly-made  graves  of 
his  wife  and  child  at  Amherst.  Amherst  and  Maulmain, 
situated  about  twenty-five  miles  apart  upon  the  coast  of  a 
newly-settled  province,  were  competing  for  the  honor  of  be- 
ing the  metropolis  of  British  Burmah.*  They  were  both 
planted  in  the  jungle,  dependent  for  their  growth  upon  the 
tide  of  population  which  kept  streaming  away  from  the  op- 
pressions of  Burman  despotism  toward  the  enlightened  and 
liberal  English  rule  that  prevailed  throughout  the  Tenasse- 
rim  provinces.  The  scale,  as  has  already  been  stated,  was 
turned  in  favor  of  Maulmain,  by  the  fact  that  Sir  Archibald 


*  See  Map  II. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIiV. 


327 


Campbell  had  chosen  it  as  the  headquarters  of  his  army.  It 
consequently  grew  into  a  large  city  with  marvellous  rapidity, 
while  Amherst  dwindled  into  insignificance. 

The  missionaries  at  first  thought  it  best  to  have  two 
stations,  one  at  Amherst  and  the  other  at  Maulmain — the 
Wades  to  hold  the  ground  in  the  former  place,  and  the 
Boardmans  in  the  latter,  while  Mr.  Judson  should  move 
backward  and  forward  between  the  two  points.  But  they 
soon  decided  not  to  attempt  to  keep  their  hold  on  Am- 
herst, but  to  concentrate  all  their  forces  in  Maulmain.  This 
town  was  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Salwen,  on  its  east- 
ern bank.  It  consisted  principally  of  one  street  which  ex- 
tended along  the  river-front  about  two  miles.  Behind  the 
city  was  a  long  range  of  hills,  dotted  here  and  there  with 
the  graceful  pagoda.  In  front  swept  the  broad  swift  Salwen, 
"  in  which  an  English  sloop-of-war  was  lying  at  anchor,  and 
curiously-shaped  Indian  boats  were  passing  to  and  fro  with 
each  changing  tide."  Directly  across  the  river  lay  the 
province  of  Martaban,  still  under  Burman  rule,  the  secure 
haunt  of  robbers  and  pirates ;  while  far  off  to  the  seaward 
one  could  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  high  hills  of  Ballou  Island. 

The  Boardmans  were  the  first  to  remove  to  Maulmain, 
and  were  soon  followed  by  the  Wades,  while  Mr.  Judson 
came  last.  We  find  in  Mr.  Boardman's  journal,  under  date 
of  August  12,  1827,  the  following  minute: 

"  The  Burman  merchant  to  whom  I  gave  the  books  called  on  me  yes- 
terday, for  further  information  on  some  point  which  he  did  not  fully  un- 
derstand. While  he  was  here,  the  head  man  of  the  village  also  came ; 
and  these  two  together,  with  our  Burman  teacher,  who  seems  to  be  in- 
quiring, entered  into  some  particular  discussion  of  the  Christian  history 
and  doctrine.  In  the  midst  of  this  discussion,  how  great  was  my  joy  on 
beholding  Mr.  Judson  approaching  the  house.  It  is  now  probable  that 
we  shall  all  be  settled  together  at  this  place." 

The  mission-house  had  been  erected  by  the  Boardmans 
at  the  expense  of  the  mission,  upon  ground  given  by  Sir 
Archibald  Campbell.     It  was  situated  about  a  mile  south  of 


328  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

the  English  barracks,  on  a  gentle  westerly  and  southerly 
declivity,  so  that  it  commanded  a  view  of  the  river  and  the 
sea.  It  contained  three  rooms  fifteen  feet  square,  and  a 
veranda  on  all  sides,  but  enclosed  on  three  sides  for  a 
study,  store-room,  dressing-room,  etc.  The  General  had 
offered  the  missionaries  a  site  within  the  cantonments,  but 
they  chose  rather  to  be  where  they  could  come  into  closer  and 
more  direct  contact  with  the  natives.  This,  however,  ex- 
posed them  landward  to  tigers,  and  riverward  to  robbers 
from  Martaban.  Their  perilous  situation  is  thus  described 
in  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Boardman  to  an  intimate  friend  in 
Salem : 

"  My  VERY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  I  have  hitherto  refrained  from  letting 
you  know  the  extreme  loneliness  of  our  condition,  and  the  constant  danger 
to  which  we  have  been  exposed Maulmain,  the  place  ol  our  resi- 
dence, is  separated  from  the  Burman  province  of  Martaban  only  by  the 
river.  The  opposite  side  is  the  refuge  of  robbers,  who  come  over  in 
parties  twenty  or  thirty  in  number,  armed  with  muskets,  spears,  knives, 
etc.  Thus  equipped,  they  break  into  houses  in  the  most  daring  manner, 
seize  everything  valuable,  and  retreat  immediately  with  their  booty  to 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  they  are  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of 
British  authority.  They  have  in  one  or  two  instances  surprised  and 
destroyed  whole  villages  that  were  left  unguarded  ;  and  in  one  place  they 

even  attacked  a  guard  of  Sepoys Thus  surrounded  by  dangers, 

we  live  alone,  in  a  house  of  such  frail  materials  that  it  could  be  cut 
open  in  any  part  with  a  pair  of  scissors,  in  the  midst  of  a  desolate  wood, 

and  at  some  little  distance  from  even  a  Burman  neighbor The 

military  cantonments  are  about   a   mile   distant,  and  we  are   the  only 

Europeans   living  outside We   came   to   this   place,  wishing,    I 

trust,  to  spend  and  be  spent  among  this  people,  and  trusting  in 
an  Almighty  arm  for  protection.  Be  assured,  my  dear  friend,  we  felt 
happy  in  our  decision.  We  saw  this  wretched,  deluded  people  perishing 
in  their  ignorance  of  the  Gospel ;  we  thought  of  the  love  of  the  Saviour 
to  precious  souls  ;  we  cast  a  glance  toward  Gethsemane  and  Calvary, 
and  that  was  sufficient.  Shall  we  consult  our  own  ease  and  comfort,  we 
said,  or  shall  we  be  willing  to  take  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  our  goods  ? 
This  was  the  question,  and,  I  trust,  the  grace  of  God  enabled  us  to 
choose  the  latter." 

And  they  were  soon  called  upon  to  endure  the  spoiling  of 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMA  IN.  329 

their  goods.  Tlie  description  is  given  in  the  words  of  Mrs 
E.  C.  Judson : 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day,  as  it  deepened  into 
night,  the  books  of  study  were  thrown  aside,  and  the  book  of 
God  taken  in  their  stead  ;  then  the  prayer  was  raised  to 
heaven,  and  the  little  family  went  to  rest.  Feeble  were  the 
rays  of  the  one  pale  lamp,  close  by  the  pillow  of  the  young 
mother,  scarce  throwing  its  light  upon  the  infant  resting  in 
her  bosom,  and  penetrating  into  the  remote  darkness,  but  by 
feeble  fiickerings.  So  sleep  soon  brooded  over  the  shut  eye- 
lids, and  silence  folded  its  solemn  wings  about  the  little 
habitation. 

"  The  infant  stirred,  and  the  mother  opened  her  eyes.  Why 
was  she  in  darkness  ?  and  what  objects  were  those  scattered 
so  strangely  about  her  apartment,  just  distinguishable  from 
the  gray  shadows  ?  The  lamp  was  soon  relighted,  and  start- 
ling was  the  scene  which  it  revealed.  There  lay,  in  odd  con- 
fusion, trunks,  boxes,  and  chests  of  drawers,  all  rifled  of  their 
contents  ;  and  strewed  carelessly  about  the  floor,  were  such  ar- 
ticles as  the  marauders  had  not  considered  worth  their  taking. 
While  regarding  in  consternation,  not  appreciable  by  those 
who  have  access  to  the  shops  of  an  American  city,  this  spoil- 
ing of  their  goods,  Mrs.  Boardman  chanced  to  raise  her  eye 
to  the  curtain,  beneath  which  her  husband  had  slept,  and  she 
thought  of  the  lost  goods  no  more.  Two  long  gashes,  one  at 
the  head  and  the  other  at  the  foot,  had  been  cut  in  the  mus- 
lin ;  and  there  had  the  desperate  villains  stood,  glaring  on 
the  unconscious  sleeper  with  their  fierce,  murderous  eyes, 
while  the  booty  was  secured  by  their  companions.  The 
bared,  swarthy  arm  was  ready  for  the  blow,  and  the  sharp 
knife  or  pointed  spear  glittered  in  their  hands.  Had  the 
sleeper  opened  his  eyes,  had  he  only  stirred,  had  but  a 
heavy,  long-drawn  breath  startled  the  cowardice  of  guilt — 
ah,  had  it  !  But  it  did  not.  The  rounded  limbs  of  the  little 
infant  lay  motionless  as  their  marble  counterfeit ;  for  if  the 
rosy  lips  had  moved  but  to  the  slightest  murmur,  or  the  tiny 
hand  crept  closer  to  the  loved  bosom  in  her  baby  dreams,  the 
chord  in  the  mother's  breast  must  have  answered,  and  the 


330  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  yUDSOX. 

death-Stroke  followed.  But  the  mother  held  her  treasure  to 
lier  heart  and  slept  on.  Murderers  stood  by  the  bedside,  re- 
garding with  callous  hearts  the  beautiful  tableau  ;  and  the 
husband  and  father  slept.  But  there  was  one  Eye  open — the 
Eye  that  never  slumbers  ;  a  protecting  wing  was  over  them, 
and  a  soft,  invisible  hand  pressed  down  their  sleeping  lids. 

"  Nearly  every  article  of  value  that  could  be  taken  away 
had  disappeared  from  the  house  ;  and  though  strict  search 
was  made  throughout  the  neighborhood,  no  trace  of  them 
was  ever  discovered.  After  this  incident.  Sir  Archibald 
Campbell  furnished  the  house  with  a  guard  of  Sepoys  during 
the  night ;  and  as  the  rapid  increase  of  the  population  soon 
gave  it  a  central  position  in  the  town,  the  danger  of  such 
attacks  was  very  much  lessened." 

It  was  at  this  exposed  spot  that  the  Judsons,  thciBoard- 
mans,  and  the  Wades  mustered  their  forces,  and  stood  pre- 
pared to  take  advantage  of  the  inflowing  tide  of  Burmese 
population.  They  took  with  them  from  Amherst  their  whole 
little  flock  of  native  converts  and  inquirers,  namely,  Moung 
Shwa-ba,  Moung  Ing,  Moung  Myat-poo,  Mah  Doke,  with 
her  husband,  Moung  Dwah,  and  Moung  Thah-byoo,  who 
afterward  became  the  apostle  to  the  Karens.  Seventeen  of 
the  female  scholars  also  accompanied  them,  besides  the  two 
little  boys  left  motherless  by  the  lamented  Mah  Men-la. 

The  missionaries  and  their  converts  at  once  began  sayat 
work.  There  were  soon  in  Maulmain  four  widely-separated 
centres  of  Gospel  influence,  namely :  the  mission-house 
where  Mr.  Boardman  labored;  Mr.  Judson's  zayat,  about 
two  miles  and  a  half  north  of  the  mission  premises,  in  a  very 
populous  part  of  the  town  ("  a  little  shed  projecting  into 
one  of  the  dirtiest,  noisiest  streets  of  the  place");  Mr. 
Wade's  zayat,  out  in  the  country,  about  half  a  mile  south 
of  the  mission-house ;  and,  besides,  a  reading  sayat,  where 
Moung  Shwa-ba  and  Moung  Ing  alternately  read  the 
Scriptures  to  all  the  passers-by.  At  each  of  these  stations 
public  worship  was  held,  followed  by  close  personal  conver- 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  331 

satlon  with  any  who  desired  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
new  rehgion.  Nor  did  the  word  thus  preached  return  void. 
They  soon  had  the  happiness  of  baptizing  Moung  Dvvah, 
one  of  the  inquirers  who  had  accompanied  them  from  Am- 
herst, and  others  speedily  followed  his  example. 

Some  of  the  most  stubborn  cases  yielded,  little  by  little, 
to  Mr.  Judson's  solemn  and  gentle  persuasion.  He  describes 
a  certain  Moung  Bo  as  follows : 

"  I  noticed  once  in  the  annals  of  the  Rangoon  mission  a 
man  of  the  first  distinction  in  point  of  talents,  erudition,  gen- 
eral information,  and  extensive  influence.  His  progress  has 
been  so  slow  that  I  have  not  mentioned  him  before  ;  but  he  has 
attended  me  ever  since  the  zayat  was  opened,  his  house  being 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  He  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong,  and  has  apparently  been  going 
through  a  process  similar  to  what  my  dear  brother,  now,  I 
trust,  in  heaven,  experienced.  He  has  relinquished  Bud- 
dhism, and  got  through  with  Deism  and  Unitarianism,  and 
now  appears  to  be  near  the  truth.  Many  a  time,  when  con- 
templating his  hard,  unbending  features,  and  listening  to  his 
tones  of  dogmatism  and  pride,  I  have  said  in  my  heart, 
'  Canst  thou  ever  kneel,  a  humble  suppliant,  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross  ? '  But  he  has  lately  manifested  some  disposition 
to  yield,  and  assures  me  that  he  does  pray  in  secret." 

Although  the  English  rule  prevented  the  application  of 
the  Burman  iron  mall,  yet  the  young  converts  did  not  es- 
cape persecution. 

"  Ko  Myat-kyau  is,"  Mr.  Judson  writes,  "  a  brother  of  the 
first  native  chief  in  the  place,  nearly  fifty  years  of  age,  of 
most  respectable  rank  in  society,  more  so  than  any  other 
that  has  been  baptized,  possessed  of  a  clear  mind,  considera- 
ble native  eloquence,  and  an  uncommon  degree  of  mental 
and  bodily  activity.  His  literary  attainments  are  scanty  ; 
but  he  has  command  of  handsome  language,  particularly 
that  which  is  current  in  the  higher  classes  of  society.  He 
has   been  an  inquirer  after  truth  many  years,  and  has  dili- 


332  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

gently  investigated  the  systems  of  Buddh,  of  Brahma,  and  of 
Mahomet.  At  length  he  embraced  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ  with  all  his  heart  and  soul,  manifesting  more  zeal  and 
ardor  than  commonly  characterize  his  cool,  considerate  coun- 
trymen. He  has  suffered  as  much  persecution  as  can  be 
openly  inflicted  under  British  government.  All  his  relations 
and  friends  joined  in  a  most  appalling  cry  against  him  ;  his 
wife  commenced  a  suit  for  divorce  ;  and  his  brother  publicly 
declared  that,  if  he  had  the  power  of  life  and  death,  he  would 
instantly  wipe  out  with  his  blood  the  disgrace  brought  upon 
the  family.  Our  friend  bore  it  all  with  the  meekness  of  a 
lamb,  and  conducted  himself  with  such  forbearance  and 
Christian  love  that  the  tide  has  begun  to  turn  in  his  favor. 
His  wife  has  relinquished  her  suit,  and  begins  to  listen  to 
the  word  ;  his  brother  has  become  silent ;  and  some  few  of 
the  relatives  begin  to  speak  in  our  favor." 

Women,  too,  did  not  shrink  from  suffering  persecution  on 
behalf  of  their  newly-found  Lord.  Describing  a  baptism, 
Mr.  Judson  says  : 

"We  made  up  a  small  female  party,  consisting  of  Mah  See, 
Mah  Gatee,  and  Mah  Kyan,  all  decided  and  heart}''  in  the 
cause,  amid  a  torrent  of  threatening  and  abuse.  The  first  is 
the  wife  of  Moung  San-lone,  second  ;  but  her  elder  brother, 
and  her  priest,  and  other  acquaintance  are  all  alive  on  the 
occasion.  The  husbands  of  the  other  two  are  both  opposers, 
and  have  threatened  their  wives  with  everything  bad  if  they 
enter  the  new  religion.  They  expect  to  suffer  as  soon  as 
their  husbands  hear  of  the  deeds  of  this  day.  We  feel  most 
for  Mah  Kyan,  who  has  a  child  at  her  breast,  an  only  child  ; 
and  her  husband  has  declared  that  he  will  not  only  turn  her 
off,  but  take  the  cl^iild  away  from  her,  and  provide  it  another 
nurse.  After  they  were  baptized,  they  said  that  their  minds 
were  very  happy  ;  come  life,  come  death  ;  they  were  disciples 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  life  and  forever." 

Again,  he  tells  the  story  of  a  lady  eighty  years  of  age, 
mother-in-law  of  a  petty  chief  who  was  one  of  the  bitterest 
opposers  : 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN 


ZZ7> 


"  She  commenced  her  inquiries,"  he  writes,  "  several  months 
ago  with  a  great  deal  of  timidity.  And  though  she  has  ac- 
quired a  little  courage,  and  is  a  person  of  considerable  pres- 
ence, she  almost  trembles  under  a  sense  of  the  great  respon- 
sibility of  changing  her  religion.  Such  being  her  character, 
the  promptness  with  which  she  answered  our  questions,  be- 
fore the  church,  affected  us  even  to  tears.  '  How  old  are 
you,  mother?'  '  Eighty  years.'  'Can  you,  at  such  an  age, 
renounce  the  religion  that  you  have  followed  all  your  life 
long?*  *  I  see  that  it  is  false,  and  I  renounce  it  all.'  '  Why 
do  you  wish  to  be  baptized  into  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  ? ' 
'  I  have  very,  very  many  sins  ;  and  I  love  the  Lord,  who  saves 
from  sin.'  '  Perhaps  your  son-in-law,  on  hearing  that  you 
have  been  baptized,  will  abuse  you,  and  turn  you  out  of 
doors.'  '  I  have  another  son-in-law,  to  whom  I  will  flee.' 
'  But  he  also  is  an  opposer  ;  suppose  that  you  should  meet 
with  the  same  treatment  there?'  'You  will,  I  think,  let  me 
come  and  live  near  you.'  We  made  no  reply,  willing  that 
she  should  prove  her  sincerity  by  bearing  the  brunt  alone. 
Her  name  is  Mai  Hlah.  Behold  this  venerable  woman,  sev- 
ering, at  her  time  of  life,  all  the  ties  which  bind  her  to  a 
large  circle  of  connections  and  friends,  hazarding  the  loss  of 
a  comfortable,  respectable  situation,  the  loss  of  character,  the 
loss  of  a  shelter  for  her  gray  head,  throwing  herself  on  the 
charity  of  certain  foreigners,  and  all  for  the  sake  of  '  the 
Lord  who  saves  from  sin.'  O,  blessed  efficacy  of  the  love  of 
Christ!". 

But  not  only  was  the  zayat  zvork  crowned  with  success ; 
the  school  work  was  not  less  effective.  The  school  of  girls 
which  had  been  transplanted  from  Amherst  increased  in  size 
and  efficiency  under  the  superintendence  of  Mrs.  Wade  and 
Mrs.  Boardman,  who  not  only  tau^rht  the  children,  but  im- 
parted religious  instruction  to  the  Burman  women.  The 
tireless  Boardman  also  opened  a  school  for  boys.  Mr.  Jud- 
son  speaks  joyously  of  an  incipient  revival  in  the  girls' 
school,  "  similar  to  those  glorious  revivals  which  distinguish 
our  own  beloved  land."     He  baptized  Mah-ree  (Hasseltine) 


334  ^^^  L^P^  OF  ADOXIRAM  yUDSON. 

about  twelve  years  ago,  one  of  the  two  Burman  girls*  whom 
his  departed  Ann  had  watched  over  during  his  own  long 
imprisonment  at  Ava. 

"  Two  other  girls,  younger  than  those  that  have  been  bap- 
tized, appear  to  have  obtained  light  and  hope  in  Christ, 
'  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  Thou  hast  per- 
fected praise.'  One  of  them,  Mee  Youk,  about  eight  years 
old,  gives  as  clear,  satisfactory  evidence  of  real  conversion 
as  any  of  the  older  girls.  The  other,  Mee  Kway,  like  our 
departed  Mee  Shwa3'--ee,  was  rescued  at  Amherst  from  miser- 
able slavery.  She  has  hitherto  given  us  very  little  pleasure, 
but  is  now  led  to  see  that  she  has  been  an  uncommonly 
wicked  child,  and  to  feel  a  humble,  penitent  disposition." 

But  even  these  babes  in  Christ  were  not  exempt  from  suf- 
fering persecution.  Mee  Tan-goung  had  just  been  baptized. 
Her  eldest  sister,  after  having  experienced  real  and  pungent 
convictions  of  divine  truth,  had  at  length  been  induced  by 
her  mother's  alternate  promises  and  threatenings  deliber- 
ately to  reject  the  Saviour. 

"  Mee  Tan-goung's  mother  came  early,"  writes  Mr.  Judson, 
"  before  any  of  us  were  up,  and  having  made  her  elder 
daughter,  Mee  Lau,  open  the  door  of  the  school  zayat,  she 
fell  upon  her  younger  daughter,  abusing  and  beating  her, 
until,  fearing  that  she  should  alarm  the  house,  she  went  off. 
Soon  after,  however,  she  came  again,  and  finding  her  daugh- 
ter outside,  she  beat  her  on  the  head  Avith  an  umbrella,  and 
threatened  to  sell  her  for  a  slave.  She  then  went  into  town, 
and  after  raising  a  tumult  in  the  market-place,  and  declaring 
that  her  daughter  had  entered  into  a  religion  which  pre- 
vented her  lying  and  cheating,  so  that  she  was  quite  lost  to 
all  purposes  of  trade,  she  carried  the  alarming  tale  to  the 
mothers  of  the  other  two  girls  who  were  baptized  yesterday. 
One  of  them,  the  mother  of  Mee  Nen-mah,  who  has  been 
most  violent  heretofore,  came  in  a  rage  to  Mrs.  Wade  (brother 


*  '*  The  other,  Abby,"  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  says  in  one  of  her  private  letters,  "  died 
young — a  most  happy,  rejoicing  death." 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


ZZS 


Wade  and  myself  being  absent  at  our  zayats),  and  after  using 
as  bad  language  as  she  dared,  she  ran  down  to  the  school- 
room, seized  her  daughter  by  the  hair,  and  dragged  her  out- 
doors toward  a  pile  of  wood,  where  she  would  soon  have 
armed  herself  with  a  weapon,  had  not  Mrs.  Wade  interfered, 
and  rescued  the  victim  ;  upon  which  the  mother  went  off, 
muttering  vengeance.  The  girls  bore  all  this  abuse  in  silent 
submission,  and  really  manifested  something  of  the  spirit  of 
martyrs.  All  three  are  taken  into  the  house  for  the  present, 
lest  their  infuriated  relatives  should  make  an  assault  upon 
them  by  night." 

Poor  little  Mee  Aa,  who  had  been  baptized,  was  living 
in  great  fear.  She  daily  expected  her  mother  from  Amherst, 
and  knew  that  she  would  take  her  away  instantly,  and  would 
use  all  the  means  in  her  power  to  make  her  renounce  the 
Christian  religion.  But  Mee  Aa  was  to  be  pleasantly  disap- 
pointed. Instead  of  being  remanded  by  her  mother  to  the 
shadows  of  heathenism,  she  was  permitted  to  lead  that 
mother  into  the  light  of  the  Gospel. 

"  Soon  after  that  date,  Mee  Aa  came  trembling,  one  morn- 
ing, to  Mrs.  Wade,  with  the  alarming  news  that  her  mother 
had  just  arrived  at  the  landing-place,  with  the  intention, 
doubtless,  of  taking  her  away  by  force  ;  and  what  should  she 
do  ?  She  was  told  to  go  and  meet  her  mother,  and  to  pray 
as  she  went.  But  the  poor  girl  need  not  have  been  alarmed. 
She  had  been  incessantly  praying  for  her  mother  ever  since 
she  had  learned  to  pray  for  herself  ;  and  God  had  heard  her 
prayers,  and  softened  her  mother's  heart.  So  when  she 
heard  that  her  daughter  was  actually  baptized,  she  only 
made  up  a  queer  face,  like  a  person  choking,  and  said,  '  It 
was  so,  was  it  not  ?  I  hear  that  some  quite  die  under  the 
operation.'  This  speech  we  all  considered  encouraging. 
And,  accordingly,  she  soon  settled  down  among  us,  drank  in 
the  truth  from  her  daughter's  lips,  and  then  followed  her 
example." 

But  the  most  pathetic  story  of  all  is  that  of  Mee  Shway-ee, 


336  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

a  little  child,  whom  the  missionaries  rescued  from  the  bar- 
barities of  heathenism.  They  brought  her  with  them  from 
Amherst.  When  they  first  heard  of  her  she  was  a  slave-girl, 
five  years  old.  Her  master  was  a  Moor.  He  afterward 
turned  out  to  be  her  own  brother,  who  had  formed  the  dia- 
bolical project  of  killing  her  by  inches.  Mr.  Judson  got 
possession  of  the  little  girl  by  threatening  her  master  with 
all  the  penalties  of  the  English  law.  Her  wretched  con- 
dition is  thus  described  in  Mrs.  Wade's  journal : 

"  Her  little  body  was  wasted  to  a  skeleton,  and  covered  from  head  to 
foot  with  the  marks  of  a  large. rattan,  and  blows  from  some  sharp-edged 
thing  which  left  a  deep  scar.  Her  master  in  a  rage  one  day  caught  her 
by  the  arm,  and  gave  it  such  a  twist  as  to  break  the  bone,  from  which 
her  sufferings  were  dreadful.     Besides,  she  had  a  large  and  very  dreadful 

bum  upon  her  body,  recently  inflicted She  had  been  tortured  so 

long  that  her  naturally  smiling  countenance  was  the  very  picture  of  grief 

and  despair Almost  the  first  words  which  the  poor  little  sufferer 

said  to  me  were,  'Please  to  give  your  slave  a  little  rice,  for  I  am  very 
hungry.'  She  was  asked  if  she  had  not  had  her  breakfast;  to  which  she 
replied  :  '  Yes,  but  I  got  very  little,  so  that  I  am  hungry  all  the  day  long.'  " 

The  poor  little  Mee  Shway-ee  had  suffered  too  much  ever 
to  recover.  She  survived  her  release  from  her  master  only 
a  few  months.  She  died  in  the  glad  triumphs  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith.  "I  am  dying,"  she  said,  "but  I  am  not  afraid  \.o 
die,  for  Christ  will  call  me  up  to  heaven.  He  has  taken 
away  all  my  sins,  and  I  wish  to  die  now,  that  I  may  go  and 
see  Him." 

Her  cruel  master  received  his  just  deserts.  He  was  thrown 
into  prison,  where,  after  waiting  trial  for  several  months,  he 
was  condemned  to  a  further  confinement  of  four  years  in 
irons,  and  hard  labor  on  the  public  works.  This  dreary 
prospect  broke  his  spirit,  and  he  managed  to  put  an  end  to 
his  wretched  life  by  taking  arsenic. 

Mee  Shway-ee.* 
"  In  the  tropic  land  of  Burmah, 
^_^ Where  the  sun  grows  never  old  ; 


*  By  Mr..  E.  C.  Judson. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 

And  the  regal-brovved  Palmyra 

Crowns  her  head  with  clouds  of  gold  ; 

On  a  strange,  wild  promontory, 
Close  beside  the  rushing  sea. 

Listening  ever  to  the  billows, 
Dwelt  poor  little  Mee  Shway-ee. 

"  But  along  the  sandy  sea-shore. 

Or  amid  the  foliage  green, 
Stringing  rows  of  crimson  berries. 

Was  the  maiden  never  seen  ; 
Never  twined  she  her  black  tresses 

With  the  golden  mazalee  ; 
For  a  wild  and  woe-marked  slave-child 

Was  poor  little  Mee  Shway-ee. 

"And  when  in  the  hush  of  twilight 

Rose  a  startling  eldritch  cry, 
Answered  by  the  gray-winged  osprey. 

Plunging  seaward  from  the  sky  ; 
Then  the  village  wives  and  maidens. 

As  they  glanced  from  roof  to  sea. 
Whispered  of  a  human  osprey. 

And  poor  writhing  Mee  Shway-ee. 

"  But  a  messenger  of  Jesus — 

Him  who,  centuries  ago. 
Bared  His  bosom  to  the  arrow 

Winged  by  human  guilt  and  woe. 
And  then  said,  '  Go  preach  my  Gospel ! 

Lo  !  I'm  evermore  with  thee  '; — 
One  who  served  this  blessed  Jesus, 

Found  poor  trembling  Mee  Shway-ee. 

"  Found  her  wan,  and  scarred,  and  bleeding, 

Mad  with  agony  and  sin  ; 
So  love's  arms  were  opened  widely. 

And  the  sufferer  folded  in  ; 
Tender  fingers  soothed  and  nursed  her, 

And  'twas  wonderful  to  see 
How  the  winning  glance  of  pity 

Tamed  the  elf-child.  Mee  Shway-ee. 

22 


337 


338  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  For,  beneath  those  drooping  eyelids 

Shone  a  human  spirit  now. 
And  the  light  of  thought  came  playing 

Softly  over  lip  and  brow  ; 
But  her  little  footstep  faltered, — 

Beamed  her  eye  more  lovingly, — 
And  'twas  known  that  death  stood  claiming 

Gentle,  trusting  Mee  Shway-ee. 

"  But  to  her  he  came  an  angel. 

Throned  in  clouds  of  rosy  light ; 
Came  to  bear  her  to  that  Saviour 

Who  had  broke  her  weary  night ; 
And  with  smiles  she  sought  his  bosom  ; 

So,  beside  the  rushing  sea, 
'Neath  the  weeping  casuarina, 

Laid  they  little  Mee  Shway-ee." 

But  amid  the  cares  and  toils  of  beginning  a  missionary 
enterprise"  in  Maulmain,  Mr.  Judson  did  not  remit  his  Hter- 
ary  labors.  The  odd  moments  of  time  left  from  sajat  zvork 
and  school  work  were  filled  with  the  work  of  tra?islation. 
Even  before  leaving  Amherst  he  had  embarked  upon  the 
prodigious  task  of  translating  the  Old  Testament  into  Bur- 
mese. He  had  begun  with  the  Psalms.  After  the  death 
of  his  wife  and  child  his  sorrowful  heart  instinctively  turned 
for  consolation  to  "  the  prayers  of  David  the  son  of  Jesse." 
He  had  hardly  been  in  Maulmain  two  years  when  he  makes 
this  record  in  his  journal : 

-  "November  29,  1829.  Since  my  last,  we  have  finished  revis- 
ing the  New  Testament  and  the  Epitome  of  the  Old — a  work 
in  which  we  have  been  closely  engaged  for  above  a  year. 
We  have  also  prepared  for  the  press  several  smaller  works, 
viz.  : 

"  I.  The  Catechism  of  Religion.  This  has  already  passed 
through  two  editions  in  Burmese.  It  has  also  been  trans- 
lated and  printed  into  Siamese,  and  translated  into  Taling 
or  Peguan. 

"  2.  The  View  of  the  Christian  Religion,  thoroughly  re- 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN. 


339 


vised  for  a  fourth  edition  in  Burmese.  It  has  also  been 
translated  into  Taling  and  Siamese. 

"  3.  The  Liturgy  of  the  Burman  Church. 

"  4.  The  Baptismal  Service. 

"  5.  The  Marriage  Service. 

"  6.  The  Funeral  Service  ;  the  last  three  consisting  chiefly 
of  extracts  from  Scripture. 

"  7.  The  Teacher's  Guide  ;  or,  a  Digest  of  those  parts  of 
the  New  Testament  which  relate  to  the  Duty  of  Teachers  of 
Religion,  designed  particularly  for  Native  Pastors. 

"  8.  A  Catechism  of  Astronomy. 

"  9.  A  Catechism  of  Geography. 

"  10.  A  Table  of  Chronological  History  ;  or  a  Register  of 
principal  Events  from  the  Creation  to  the  present  Time. 

"  II.  The  Memoir  of  Mee  Shway-ee. 

"  12.  The  Golden  Balance  ;  or,  the  Christian  and  Buddhist 
Systems  Contrasted.     This  has  been  translated  into  Taling. 

"  The  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  was  also  translated  into 
Siamese  by  Mrs.  Judson,  and  is  now  being  translated  into 
Taling  by  Ko  Man-poke,  our  assistant  in  that  department." 

While  thus  absorbed  in  the  work  of  preaching  and  teach- 
ing and  translating  at  Maulmain,  he  was  not  forgetful  of  the 
smouldering  camp-fires  he  had  left  behind  him  at  Rangoon 
and  Amherst.  At  Rangoon  especially,  where  he  had  first 
unfurled  the  banner  of  the  Christ,  and  whence  he  had  been 
rudely  driven  by  the  intolerant  spirit  of  the  king  of  Ava,  a 
native  church  was  speedily  reorganized  under  a  Burman 
pastor,  Ko  Thah-a.  It  seems  that  this  man  was  one  of  the 
original  Rangoon  converts. 

"At  the  close  of  the  war,"  according  to  Mr.  Judson's  narra- 
tive, "he  spent  a  few  months  at  a  large  village  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Shwa-doung,  and  there,  devoting  himself  to  the 
preaching  of  the  word,  he  produced  a  very  considerable  ex- 
citement. Several  professed  to  believe  in  the  Christian 
religion  ;  and  three  of  the  most  promising  received  baptism 
at  his  hands.     Some  others  requested  the  same  favor  ;  but 


340  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

he  became  alarmed  at  his  own  temerity,  and  declined  their 
repeated  applications.  The  villagers,  in  time,  returned  to 
the  vicinity  of  Rangoon,  whence  they  had  fled  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war.  He  also  returned  to  Rangoon,  his 
former  residence,  and  continued  to  disseminate  the  truth, 
but  in  a  more  cautious  and  covert  manner." 

Ko  Thah-a  visited  Mr.  Judson  at  Maulmain  in  order  to 
be  instructed  as  to  what  he  should  do  with  those  whom  he 
had  persuaded  to  accept  of  Christ,  and  who  wished  to  be 
baptized.  It  was  thought  best  to  ordain  him  as  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Rangoon. 

What  a  stubborn  vitality  there  is  in  that  seminal  divine 
idea,  a  local  church !  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  formed  such  a 
church,  when,  in  1813,  they  made  their  home  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Irrawaddy,  and  all  by  themselves  shared  in  that  Holy 
Supper  which  was  instituted  to  commemorate  the  Saviour's 
dying  love.  The  church  of  two  slowly  grew  into  a  church 
of  twenty.  Then  came  the  war,  and  the  long  imprisonment 
of  the  pastor  at  Ava.  The  church  was  hewed  to  the 
ground.  Only  four  members  could  be  found,  and  these 
were  transplanted  to  Amherst.  More  than  two  years  later 
Ko  Thah-a,  who  had  been  lost  sight  of  in  the  interior  of 
the  country,  makes  his  appearance  in  Maulmain.  He  has 
all  along  been  secretly  preaching  the  good  news,  and  now 
he  wants  to  go  back  to  Rangoon  and  baptize  the  converts 
whom  he  has  won.  Out  of  the  stump  of  the  tree  cut  down 
there  springs  a  shoot  which  has  bloomed  and  flourished  even 
to  the  present  time.  The  Rangoon  mission  of  j88i  em- 
braces eighty-nine  churches  and  thirty-seven  hundred  mem- 
bers. "  There  shall  be  a  handful  of  corn  in  the  earth  upon 
the  top  of  the  mountains ;  the  fruit  thereof  shall  shake 
like  Lebanon." 

Ko  Thah-a,  the  first  Christian  pastor  among  the  Bur- 
mans,  proved  to  be  an  able  minister.  Of  him  Mr.  Judson 
wrote  : 

"  His  age  (fitty-seven),  his  steadiness  and  weight  of  char- 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


341 


acter,  his  attainments  in  Burman  literature,  which,  though 
not,  perhaps,  necessary,  seem  desirable  in  one  who  is  taking 
up  arms  against  the  religion  of  his  country,  and  his  humble 
devotedness  to  the  sacred  work,  all  conspire  to  make  us 
acquiesce  with  readiness  and  gratitude  in  the  divine  apooint- 
ment."  ' 

Again  and  again  he  sent  to  Maulmain  the  cheering  news 
of  conversions  and  baptisms;  and'when,  a  year  and  a  half 
after  his  ordination,  Mr.  Judson  visited  him  at  Rangoon 
and  invited  him  to  go  on  a  missionary  tour  up  the  country, 
he  declined,  "  on  account  of  having  so  many  irons  in  the 
fire  " — that  is,  hopeful  inquirers — that  he  must  stay  to  bring 
forward  and  baptize.  And  Mr.  Judson  adds,  "  He  is  as 
solicitous  and  busy  as  a  hen  pressing  about  her  chickens. 
It  is  quite  refreshing  to  hear  him  talk  on  the  subject,  and 
see  what  a  nice,  careful  old  shepherd  he  makes.  The  Lord 
bless  his  soul  and  the  souls  of  his  flock  !  " 

Neither  did  Mr.  Judson  forget  the  deserted  mission-field 
at  Amherst,  where  lay  the  precious  dust  of  his  wife  and 
child.  Like  the  Apostle  Paul,  he  felt  the  deepest  solicitude 
for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  converts  whom  he  had  left 
along  the  track  behind  him.  Moung  Ing  was  ordained  and 
sent  to  be  pastor  of  the  disciples  at  Amherst. 

"  The  church,"  Mr.  Judson  writes,  "  consisted  of  three — • 
Mah  Loon-byay,  who  was  baptized  while  we  lived  there,  and 
has  never  left  the  place  ;  Mah  Kai,  and  her  daughter,  Mee 
A,  who  have  lately  moved  thither.  To  these  are  now  added 
pastor  Moung  Ing  and  his  wife,  Mah  Lan.  May  the  five 
become  five  hundred.  May  the  seed  formerly  sown  in  weak- 
ness and  tears  yet  spring  up  and  bear  fruit.  May  the  last 
efforts  of  the  one  we  have  lost,  whose  setting  rays  sunk  in 
death  beneath  the  hope-tree,  prove  not  to  have  been  in  vain  ; 
and  may  the  prayers  which  ascended  from  her  dying  bed  be 
yet  heard  and  answered  in  blessings  upon  Amherst." 

Moung  Ing,  however,  though  diligent  and   faithful,  and 


342  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSOX. 

extremely  desirous  of  doing  good,  seems  to  have  proved 
rather  a  failure  as  a  minister.  The  prospects  at  Amherst 
darkened  ;  and  Mr.  Judson  sadly  wrote  : 

"  Moung  Ing  has  had  no  success  at  alL  though  he  has  not 
been  wanting  in  diligence  and  faithfulness.  At  length  we 
advised  him  to  remove  to  Tavoy.  He,  however,  preferred 
Rangoon,  and  is  now  co-operating  with  Ko  Thah-a.  His 
wife  remained  behind.  _  Her  conduct  has  been  very  excep- 
tionable since  her  baptism,  and  soon  after  her  husband's  de- 
parture she  became  openly  vicious.  She  is  now  suspended 
from  communion — the  first  case  of  church  discipline  that  has 
occurred  among  the  native  members." 

One  feels  his  heart  drawn  out  toward  the  poor  fisherman, 
Moung  Ing,  one  of  the  xexv  earliest  Burman  converts,  Mrs. 
Judson's  only  dependence  at  Ava  and  Oung-pen-la — the 
first  bearer  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Tavo\-ans,  and  yet  a  man 
whose  mission  in  this  world,  in  spite  of  zeal,  fidelity,  and 
untiring  industry,  seemed  to  be  ever  to  fail.  In  a  subse- 
quent letter  of  Mr.  Judson's,  thrre  occurs  a  pathetic  ac- 
count of  his  death.  His  humilitv'  and  disinterestedness 
shone  forth  with  a  steady  ray  even  in  his  latest  hours. 

"  During  the  last  year  of  his  life,  Ko  Ing  was  supported 
from  the  donations  of  Mr.  Colgate,  of  New  York.  But  at  the 
close  of  October,  1833,  he  wrote  that,  on  account  of  his  un- 
worthiness  and  want  of  success,  he  declined  receiving  any 
further  allowance  ;  that  his  wife — of  whose  conversion  he 
had  been  the  means — was  able,  by  keeping  a  small  shop,  to 
support  the  family  ;  but  that  he  intended,  however,  to  devote 
himself  the  same  as  before  to  the  work  to  which  he  had  been 
called.  Accordingly,  the  same  letter  reports  his  labors  and 
states  his  plans  for  future  operations.  Such  communications 
he  continued  to  make  till  his  death.  In  order,  however,  to 
square  our  accounts,  we  requested  him  to  receive  the  usual 
allowance  for  the  remaining  two  months  of  that  year.  He 
did  so,'  and  in  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  the  money,  said 
that  he  regarded  it  as  a  special  g^ft  from  heaven.     We  then 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN.  343 

determined  that,  though  he  declined  an}'-  stated  allowance, 
*ve  would  occasionally  make  him  presents  ;  and  brother  Mason 
has  sent  him  money  two  or  three  times,  amounting,  I  believe, 
to  about  one-third  of  his  usual  allowance.  The  following  is 
an  extract  from  the  letter  of  a  pious  sergeant  in  the  detacJi- 
ment  stationed  at  Mergui,  dated  December  7,  1834  : 

"  'I  was  with  Ko  Ing  several  times  during  his  illness,  and 
commonlv  took  an  interpreter  with  me  ;  but  on  account  of 
his  extreme  weakness  and  deafness,  I  could  say  but  little  to 
him.  Being  anxious,  however,  to  know  his  experience.  1 
asked  him  a  few  questions,  as  follows  :  Q.  Do  you  wish  to 
die  or  not  ?  Am.  I  wish  to  die,  if  it  is  the  will  of  God.  Q. 
Why  do  yo\x  wish  to  die  ?  Ans.  I  shall  go  to  heaven  and  be 
happy.  Q.  How  do  3'^ou  know  that  you  shall  go  to  heaven  ? 
Am.  I  have  read  in  the  word  of  God  that  those  who  serve 
Him  will  go  there,  and  my  own  breast  tells  me  of  it  (placing 
his  hand  on  his  breast  and  looking  up).  Q.  How  have  you 
served  God  ?  Am.  By  forsaking  my  wicked  ways,  and  prav- 
ing  to  Him  for  forgiveness.  Q.  Do  j'^ou  think  all  this  will 
take  you  to  heaven  ?  Am.  Jesus  Christ  came  down  from 
above,  and  died  for  sinners  ;  and  those  that  are  sorry  for  and 
forsake  their  sins  shall  be  saved,  because  Christ  died  for 
them.  Q.  You  don't  think,  then,  that  your  works  and  your 
own  goodness  will  take  you  to  heaven  ?  Am.  No.  All  my 
works  are  but  filthy  rags.  He  was  so  much  exhausted  that  I 
asked  him  no  more  questions.  I  think  I  told  you  in  a  former 
letter  that  he  had  his  coffin  made  some  days  before  his 
death  ;  that  our  lads  carried  him  to  the  grave  ;  and  I  read 
the  funeral  ser\-ice  over  him.' " 

But  the  time  had  now  come  when  this  little  company  of 
missionaries  at  Maulmain  had  to  be  broken  up.  Judson. 
Boardman,  and  Wade — an  illustrious  triumvirate — could  not 
long  expect  to  work  together  in  the  same  place.  This 
would  be  too  great  a  concentration  of  forces  at  one  point. 
The  Gospel  light  must  be  more  widely  dispersed  through 
the  thick  gloom  of  Paganism.  The  Boardmans  were  the 
first  to  go,  though  the  parting  with  their  missionary  asso- 


344  '^'^'^  ^^^'^  ^^  ADONIRAM  yUDSOh^ 

ciates  was  attended  with  the  keenest  suffering.  Besides, 
they  had  originated  the  mission  at  Mauhnain,  and  it  was  at 
a  peculiar  sacrifice  that  they  pressed  into  the  regions  be- 
yond. They  chose  Tavoy  as  their  field  of  work.  Tt  seemed 
out  of  the  question  to  assail  Burmah  proper ;  and  on  the 
long  coast  of  the  ceded  provinces,  Amherst  having  dwindled 
into  insignificance,  Tavoy  was  the  only  important  point 
within  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  If  they  went  to  Arracan, 
British  territory  situated  on  the  other  side  of  Burmah 
proper,*  they  would  be  too  far  away  to  meet  with  the  other 
missionaries  for  such  occasional  consultation  and  concert  of 
prayer  as  seemed  advisable  to  the  Board  at  home.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  2gth  of  March,  1828,  when  the  missionaries  had 
experienced  for  only  seven  months  the  joy  of  laboring  to- 
gether in  Maulmain,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boardman  with  their 
little  family  set  sail  for  Tavoy.  They  were  accompanied  by 
a  young  Siamese  convert,  MoungShway-pwen,  by  a  Karen, 
Ko  Thah-byoo — subsequently  the  renowned  apostle  to  the 
Karens — and  by  four  of  the  native  school-boys.  With  this 
little  group  of  disciples,  Mr.  Boardman  began  that  brief  and 
heroic  campaign  among  the  Karens  which  has  made  his 
name  so  illustrious  in  the  annals  of  missions. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1829,  Mr.  Judson  received 
news  of  the  death  at  Washington  of  his  brother  Elnathan, 
with  whom  he  had  prayed  so  many  years  before  by  the 
roadside  on  his  way  from  Plymouth  to  Boston.f  The  letter 
that  brought  him  these  sad  tidings  assured  him  also  that 
the  wayside  prayer  had  been  answered.  He  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing letter  of  comfort  to  his  distant  sister: 

"Maulmain,  December  ■zi,  1829. 

"I  have  just  received  yours  of  May  25  last,  giving  an  ac- 
count of  Elnathan's  death,  and  also  Dr.  Sewall's  detail  of 
his  dying  exercises.  Perhaps  you  have  not  seen  Dr.  Sewall's 
letter.  It  closes  thus  :  '  A  few  hours  before  his  death,  and 
when  he  was  so  low  as  to  be  unable  to  converse  or  to  move, 


*  See  Map  11.  t  See  page  35. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


345 


he  suddenly  raised  himself  up,  and  clasping  his  hands,  with 
an  expression  of  joy  in  his  countenance,  cried,  "Peace, 
peace!"  and  then  he  sunk  down,  without  the  power  of 
utterance.  About  ten  minutes  before  he  expired,  it  was 
said  to  him,  "If  you  feel  the  peace  of  God  in  your 
soul,  open  your  eyes."  He  opened  his  eyes,  and  soon 
after  expired,  and,  as  we  believe,  in  the  triumphs 
of  faith.'  When  I  read  this  account,  I  went  into  my 
little  room,  and  could  only  shed  tears  of  joy,  my  heart  full 
of  gratitude  and  my  tongue  of  praise.  I  have  felt  most 
anxious  about  him  for  a  long  time  ;  to  hear  at  last  that  there 
is  some  good  reason  to  conclude  that  he  has  gone  to  heaven 
is  enough.  So  we  are  dying,  one  after  another.  We  shall 
all  be  there,  I  trust,  before  long.  I  send  you  and  mother  a 
little  tract,  which  I  beg  you  will  study  prayerfully.  Let  me 
urge  you  frequently  to  re-examine  the  foundation  of  your 
hope.  O,  it  is  a  solemn  thing  to  die — an  awful  thing  to  go 
into  eternity,  and  discover  that  we  have  been  deceiving  our- 
selves !  Let  u>  depend  upon  it  that  nothing  but  real  faith  in 
Christ,  proved  to  be  genuine  by  a  holy  life,  can  support  us  at  last. 
That  faith  which  consists  merely  in  a  correct  belief  of  the 
doctrines  of  grace,  and  prompts  to  no  self-denial, — that  faith 
which  allows  us  to  spend  all  our  days  in  serving  self,  content 
with  merely  refraining  from  outward  sins,  and  attending  to 
the  ordinary  duties  of  religion, — is  no  faith  at  all.  O,  let  me 
beg  of  you  to  look  well  into  this  matter  !  And  let  me  beg 
my  dear  mother,  in  her  old  age,  and  in  view  of  the  near  ap- 
proach of  death  and  eternity,  to  examine  again  and  again 
whether  her  faith  is  of  the  right  kind.  Is  it  that  faith  which 
gives  her  more  enjoyment  in  Jesus,  from  day  to  day,  than  she 
finds  in  anything  else? 

"  May  God  bless  you  both,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of  your 
affectionate  brother." 

On  the  arrival  at  Maulmain  of  two  new  missionaries,  the 
printer,  Mr.  Cephas  Bennett,  and  his  wife,  it  seemed  best 
that  the  policy  of  dispersion  should  be  still  more  rigorously 
pursued.     Mr.   Judson   never  approved  of  the  huddling  of 


346  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

missionaries  together  at  any  one  station.  A  few  years  later 
he  wrote : 

"  Formerly,  having  spent  many  years  alone,  I  felt  desirous 
of  missionary  society,  and  was  disposed  to  encourage  a  few 
to  stay  together,  not  doubting  but  that  we  should  all  find 
enough  to  do.  But  I  have  now  learned  that  one  missionary 
standing  by  himself,  feeling  his  individual  responsibility,  and 
forced  to  put  forth  all  his  efforts,  is  worth  half  a  dozen  cooped 
up  in  one  place,  while  there  are  unoccupied  stations  in  all 
directions,  and  whole  districts,  of  thousands  and  hundreds 
of  thousands,  perishing  in  the  darkness  of  heathenism.  You 
will  perhaps  wonder  that  I  am  frequently  writing  in  this 
strain.     But  when  I  think  of  seven  families, — eight  when  the 

s  are  here,  which  will  probably  be  every  rainy  season, — 

my  spirit  groans  within  me.  I  feel  that  I  can  not  spend  my 
time  to  better  purpose  than  in  endeavoring  to  effect  some 
change  in  our  present  arrangements.  I  can  truly  say  that 
all  the  real  missionary  work  done  by  all  the  sisters  at  this 
station,  from  day  to  day,  might  and  would  be  done  by  any 
two  of  them,  if  left  to  themselves  ;  and  this  not  because  they 
are  disposed  to  indolence  or  self-indulgence,  but  simply  be- 
cause there  are  so  many  together.  Place  any  one  of  them 
in  a  station  by  herself,  with  her  husband,  and  she  would  be- 
come a  new  creature." 

He  also  believed  in  multiplying  the  centres  of  light.  It 
might  be  well  for  a  new  missionary  upon  his  first  arrival  to 
be  kept  in  training  at  some  long-established  post  in  asso- 
ciation with  experienced  laborers,  but  then  his  ultimate  aim 
should  be  to  plunge  alone  into  the  thicket  of  heathenisni. 

Besides,  the  time  had  now  come  to  make  a  new  attempt 
to  enter  Burmah  proper.  Accordingly  on  February  21, 
1830,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade  removed  to  Rangoon,  Mr.  Jud- 
son's  old  field,  where  the  newly-ordained  Moung  Thah-a 
and  Moung  Ing  were  laboring.  The  pain  of  parting  was 
alleviated  by  the  hope  which  Mr.  Judson  cherished  of  join- 
ing them  again  at  Rangoon,  with  the  purpose  of  once  more 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


347 


penetrating  the  valley  of  the  Irrawaddy  in  the  direction  of 
Ava.  In  a  confidential  letter,  written  to  the  Corresponding 
Secretary  two  years  and  a  half  before,  he  had  thus  described 
the  four  beloved  coadjutors  from  whom  it  was  now  his 
duty  to  be  separated  : 

"  Brother  Wade  is  a  steady,  correct,  judicious,  persevering, 
heavenly-minded  man.  He  is  much  better  than  he  seems  on 
first  appearance  or  a  slight  acquaintance.  I  have  learned 
that  his  advice  is  safe,  and  I  confide  in  his  judgment  more 
than  my  own.  He  is  getting  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
language,  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  Wade  speak  it  very  well. 
In  regard  to  Mrs.  Wade  I  can  truly  say,  that  among  all  my 
living  acquaintances  I  do  not  know  a  single  woman  who  is 
superior  to  her  in  sterling  excellence  of  missionary  charac- 
ter. Brother  and  sister  Boardman  I  am  not  much  acquainted 
with,  and  am  unable  to  delineate  their  distinguishing  charac- 
teristics. He  appears  to  have  a  mind  well  disciplined  and 
readily  stirred.  She  is  a  truly  lovely  and  estimable  woman. 
Of  all  the  four,  I  know  not  which  I  esteem  most.  The  Wades 
I  love  most  because  I  know  them  best." 

But  Mr.  Judson  could  not  remain  content  at  Maulmain. 
He  was  not  satisfied  with  founding  two  or  three  missions 
on  the  outermost  edge  of  British  Burmah.  He  longed  to 
penetrate  Burmah  proper  again,  and  establish  a  line  of  mis- 
sion stations  in  the  Irrawaddy  valley,  that  arterial  channel 
through  which  the  tide  of  Burmese  population  surged.  Mr. 
Wade  had  gone  before  simply  as  an  avant  coureur.  His  go- 
ing to  Rangoon  was  only  a  part  of  a  more  general  move- 
ment. Leaving  Maulmain  in  charge  of  Mr.  Boardman,  who 
had  been  temporarily  recalled  from  Tavoy,  Mr.  Judson 
parted  with  him  and  the  new-comers,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ben- 
nett, on  April  26,  1830,  and  set  sail  for  Rangoon,  where  he 
arrived  six  days  later.  Before  leaving  Maulmain,  he  writes 
in  his  journal : 

"Our  re-entering  Burmah  is  an  experiment  which  we  are 
making  with  fear  and   trembling.     Accounts  from   brother 


348  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

and  sister  Wade  are  rather  encouraging.  They  both  give  it 
as  their  decided  opinion  that  I  ought  to  join  them  immedi- 
ately ;  not  merely  with  a  view  to  Rangoon,  but  to  the  neigh- 
boring towns,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  render  accessible." 

He  spent  only  a  few  days  with  Mr.  Wade  in  Rangoon. 
Then,  in  the  company  of  five  native  disciples,  he  proceeded 
by  boat  to  Prome,  an  ancient  city  situated  on  the  Irrawaddy 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  the  mouth.  He 
writes  from  Rangoon  : 

"  Every  day  deepens  the  conviction  in  my  mind  that  I  am 
not  in  the  place  where  God  would  have  me  be.  It  was  to  the 
interior,  and  not  to  Rangoon,  that  my  mind  was  turned  long 
before  I  left  Maulmain  ;  and  while  I  feel  that  brother  and 
sister  Wade  are  in  the  right  place,  I  feel  that  I  am  called 
elsewhere.  Under  these  impressions,  I  am  about  proceeding 
up  the  river,  accompanied  by  Moung  Ing,  Moung  En,  Moung 
Dway,  Moung  Dan,  baptized  April  4,  and  little  Moung  Like, 
mentioned  April  18,  not  yet  baptized.  The  boat  on  which 
we  embark  will  take  us  to  Prome,  the  great  half-way  place 
between  this  and  Ava,  and  there  I  hope  and  pray  that  the 
Lord  will  show  us  what  to  do." 

This  brave  effort,  however,  to  plant  Christianity  at  Prome, 
in  the  very  interior  of  the  Burman  empire,  the  half-way 
place  between  Rangoon  and  Ava,  proved  a  complete  failure. 
Mr.  Judson  preached  the  Gospel  and  distributed  tracts  all 
the  way  up  the  river,  and  for  three  months  he  and  his  dis- 
ciples labored  faithfully  in  Prome.  He  occupied  daily  an 
old  tumble-down  zayat  at  the  foot  of  the  great  pagoda, 
Shway  Landau,  and  thousands  heard  the  Gospel  from  his 
lips.  But  suddenly  the  zayat  was  deserted.  He  met  with 
cold  and  rude  treatment  in  the  streets.  The  dogs  were 
allowed  to  bark  at  him  unmolested.  It  was  rumored  that 
the  king  at  Ava  was  displeased  that  the  Burman  religion 
should  be  assailed  in  the  very  heart  of  his  empire,  and  that 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN 


349 


he  had  given  orders  that  Mr,  Judson  should  be  required  to 
depart  from  Burmah.  It  subsequently  transpired  that  the 
king  himself  was,  in  reality,  kindly  disposed  toward  Mr. 
Judson.  He  had  inquired  some  time  before  where  Mr. 
Judson  was,  and  when  told  that  he  was  in  Maulmain,  he 
said  :  "  Why  does  he  not  come  here  ?  He  is  a  good  man 
and  would,  if  he  were  here,  teach  and  discipline  my  minis- 
ters and  make  better  men  of  them."  The  ejection  of  Mr. 
Judson  from  Burmah  was  a  trick  on  the  part  of  these  very 
prime  ministers.  They  hated  all  foreign  intrusion,  and 
represented  to  Major  Burney,  the  English  ambassador  at 
Ava,  that  the  king  was  very  much  displeased  with  Mr.  Jud- 
son's  attempt  to  introduce  Christianity  into  the  empire. 
Major  Burney  writes : 

"Ava,  Septejiiber  i,  1830. 

"  The  ministers  requested  my  advice  as  to  the  measures 
which  they  ought  to  pursue  with  respect  to  Dr.  Judson,  who, 
they  said,  is  come  up  to  Prome,  and  is  there  distributing 
tracts  among  the  inhabitants,  and  abusing  the  Burmese  re- 
ligion, much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  king.  I  told  them  that 
Dr.  Judson  is  now  exclusively  devoted  to  missionary  pur- 
suits ;  that  I  possess  no  power  or  authority  over  him,  but  that 
I  know  him  to  be  a  very  pious  and  good  man,  and  one  not 
likely  to  injure  the  Burmese  king  or  Government  in  any 
manner.  The  ministers  replied  that  the  king  is  much  vexed 
with  Dr.  Judson  for  the  zeal  with  which  he  is  distributing 
among  the  people  writings  in  which  the  Burmese  faith  is 
held  forth  to  contempt,  and  that  his  majesty  is  anxious  to 
remove  him  from  Prome.  I  said  that  the  Burmese  king  and 
Government  have  always  enjoyed  a  high  reputation  among 
civilized  nations  for  the  toleration  which  they  have  shown  to 
all  religious  faiths  ;  that  there  are  thousands,  in  Europe  and 
America,  who  would  be  much  hurt  and  disappointed  to  hear 
of  any  change  in  the  liberal  policy  hitherto  observed  by  the 
king  of  Ava,  and  that  I  hope  the  ministers  would  not  think 
of  molesting  or  injuring  Dr.  Judson,  as  such  a  proceeding 
would  offend  and  displease  good  men  of  all  nations.     They 


350  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

replied  that  it  was  for  this  reason,  to  avoid  hurting  Dr.  Jud- 
son,  that  they  had  consulted  me  ;  and  they  propose  that  1 
should  write  and  advise  Dr.  Judson  of  the  king's  sentiments 
toward  him.  I  reiterated  my  assurances  that  Dr.  Judson  is  in 
no  way  connected  with  me  or  my  Government,  and  that  I  can 
issue  no  orders  to  him  ;  and  I  begged  the  ministers  to  leave 
him  alone,  which,  however,  they  said  they  could  not,  as  his 
majesty  had  expressed  himself  much  displeased  with  his  con- 
duct. I  consented  at  last  to  write  to  Dr.  Judson,  but  I  told 
the  ministers  to  recollect  that  I  had  no  right  to  interfere  with 
him,  who  would,  notwithstanding  any  letter  he  might  receive 
from  me,  act  in  whatever  manner  his  own  judgment  and  con- 
science might  dictate.  The  ministers  begged  of  me  only  to 
recommend  Dr.  Judson  to  return  to  Rangoon,  and  confine 
his  missionary  labors  within  that  city." 

And  so  Mr.  Judson  was  forced  sadly  and  reluctantly  to 
abandon  his  project  of  carrying  the  Gospel  into  Central 
Burmah.  The  thrilling  narrative  of  his  experiences  in 
Prome  and  of  his  return  to  Rangoon  is  best  told  in  his  own 
words  : 

To  the  Missionaries  at  Rangoon  and  Maulmain. 

"  Prome,  June  26,  1830. 

"  Dear  Brethren  and  Sisters  :  To-day  I  have  taken  pos- 
session of  the  old  zayat  allowed  me  by  Government.  Part  of 
it  we  have  inclosed  in  rooms,  and  the  other  part  we  have  left 
open  for  the  reception  of  company.  Several  people  accosted 
us  as  they  passed.  '  So  you  have  moved,  have  you  ?  We 
shall  come  and  see  you  before  long.'  There  are  at  present 
no  hopeful  inquirers  ;  but  some  visitors  from  Men-dai  and 
Men-yoo-ah  approximate  toward  that  character. 

''/tily  2.  A  great  change  has  taken  place  in  the  minds  of 
Government  people  toward  me.  Satan  has  industriously  cir- 
culated a  report  that  I  am  a  spy  in  pay  of  the  British.  Last 
night  the  deputy  governor  sent  to  inquire  my  name  and  title. 
This  morning  I  waited  on  him,  and  on  the  lady  governess, 
but  met  with  a  very  cold  reception  at  both  places.  The 
deputy  governor  is  probably  reporting  me  to  Ava,  and  what 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN. 


351 


the  consequences  will  be  I  know  not.  Several  visitors,  who 
began  to  listen  with  some  favorable  disposition,  have  sud- 
denly fallen  off.     To-day  I  have  had  no  company  at  all. 

'^July  3.  Pastor  Ing  returned  from  a  visit  to  Men-yoo-ah. 
He  says  that  the  same  suspicion  is  spreading  all  over  the 
country.  Even  the  women  mentioned  in  my  last  were  afraid 
to  have  any  communication  with  him.  By  forcing  his  way, 
he  managed  to  sleep  two  nights  at  the  house  of  the  Toung- 
dwen  teacher,  and  had  some  conversation  with  him  and  his 
people  on  the  subject  of  religion.  But  the  teacher,  though 
not  a  regular  Buddhist,  feels  his  consequence,  as  the  head  of 
a  sect,  and  is  perhaps  as  far  from  candid  consideration  as  the 
most  bigoted  priest.  Pastor  Ing  says  that  the  country  is  full 
of  villages,  and  there  is  some  disposition  to  listen  to  religlcn, 
but  that  in  the  present  state  of  the  public  mind,  if  I  should 
make  the  tour  of  those  parts,  as  I  had  some  intention  of 
doing,  there  is  not  a  house  where  the  owner  would  dare  to 
ask  me  to  sit  down  at  the  entrance  of  the  door. 

"  Feel  extremely  dejected  this  evening.  Never  so  heartily 
willing  to  enter  into  my  rest,  yet  willing  to  offer,  and  I  do, 
with  some  peculiar  feelings,  offer,  my  poor. life  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  to  do  and  to  suffer  whatever  He  shall  appoint, 
during  my  few  remaining  days.  My  followers  feel  some 
courage  yet ;  for  they  have,  I  hope,  a  little  faith,  and  they 
know,  also,  that  whatever  storm  comes,  it  will  beat  upon 
their  teacher  first, 

'''' July  4,  Lord's  day.  Another  Burman  day  of  worship,  and 
a  great  day,  being  the  first  day  of  Lent,  a  season  which  con- 
tinues three  months.  After  usual  worship,  took  a  stroll 
through  the  place.  All  smiles  and  looks  of  welcome  are 
passed  away  ;  people  view  me  with  an  evil  eye,  and  suffer 
their  dogs  to  bark  at  me  unchecked.  Near  Shway  San-dau, 
the  zayats  were  crowded  with  devout-faced  worshippers.  I 
found  a  vacant  place  under  a  shed  built  over  a  large  brick 
idol,  and,  sitting  down  on  the  ground,  I  held  converse  with 
small  parties,  who  came  around  in  succession.  Some  com- 
pany, also,  morning  and  evening,  at  home.  I  can  not  but 
hope  that  two  persons  have  this  day  obtained  some  discovery 


352  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

of  the  way  of  salvation  through  a  crucified  Saviour.  But  it 
is  really  affecting  to  see  a  poor  native  when  he  first  feels  the 
pinch  of  truth.  On  one  side  he  sees  hell  ;  on  the  other  side, 
ridicule,  reproach,  confiscation  of  goods,  imprisonment,  and 
death. 

''^ July  7.  Moung  A,  one  of  the  persons  last  mentioned, 
comes  every  day.  He  seems  to  be  quite  taken  with  the 
Christian  religion,  but  says  he  can  not  think  of  embracing  it 
until  the  learned  and  the  great  lead  the  way. 

''''July  8.  Many  visitors  through  the  day,  in  consequence 
of  a  festival  held  in  the  vicinity.  Moung  A  begins  to  speak 
decidedly  for  Christ. 

"July  9.  Having  agreed  that  two  or  three  of  our  number 
shall  go  out  every  day,  in  different  directions,  and  preach  the 
Gospel,  whether  the  people  will  hear  or  forbear,  my  lot  fell 
in  a  public  zayal,  about  a  mile  from  home,  near  Shway  San- 
dau,  where  I  had  an  uninterrupted  succession  of  hearers  from 
morning  till  night.  Pastor  Ing  and  Moung  Dway  were  suc- 
cess(ully  engaged  in  another  quarter,  and  Moung  En  had 
some  company  at  home.  I  presume  that  a  hundred  and  fifty 
people  have  this  day  heard  the  Gospel  intelligibly,  who  never 
lieard  it  before. 

'■'■July  10.  The  same  as  yesterday,  except  that,  being  ill,  I 
left  the  zayat  about  noon.  Moung  A  was  with  me  in  the 
afternoon.  His  case  is  becoming  extremely  interesting.  He 
is  a  bright  young  man,  with  a  small  family,  formerly  be- 
longed to  Caesar's  household,  and  bore  a  considerable  title, 
which  was  forfeited  through  false  accusation.  He  began 
last  night  to  pray  to  the  eternal  God. 

"■July  II.  Lord's  day.  Several  came  in  during  worship, 
and  behaved  decently,  though  they  would  not  put  themselves 
into  a  devotional  posture,  or  join  in  the  responses.  One 
man,  in  particular,  professed  to  be  excessively  delighted  with 
the  new  and  wonderful  things  which  he  heard.  Moung  A 
present  at  evening  worship,  but  he  remains  in  a  very  critical 
state.  No  wine  to  be  procured  in  this  place,  on  which  ac- 
count we  are  unable  to  unite  with  the  other  churches,  this 
day,  in  partaking  of  the  Lord's  supper. 


LIFE  IN  M.ll'LMAIN. 


35. 


'■'■July  12.  A  Burman  day  of  worship.  In  the  morning, 
received  private  information  that  the  deputy  governor,  as  I 
conjectured,  did  actually  report  me  to  Ava.  If  any  order  be 
given  immediately,  whether  favorable  or  unfavorable,  it  may 
be  expected  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight.  Felt  rather  de- 
jected, but  endeavored  to  put  my  trust  in  God,  and  resolve 
to  work  while  the  day  lasts.  The  zayats  being  all  full  of 
worshippers,  I  took  my  seat  on  a  brick  under  the  shed  over 
the  great  idol,  and,  from  morning  till  night,  crowd  succeeded 
crowd.  Some  became  outrageously  angry,  and  some  listened 
with  delight.  Some  said,  'He  is  a  good  man';  but  others 
said,  'Nay,  he  deceiveth  the  people.'  About  noon,  heard 
Moung  Dway's  voice  on  the  other  side  of  the  idol.  Pastor 
Ing  was  busy  in  another  quarter.  At  home,  Moung  En  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  Myat-pyoo,  one  of  the  two  persons  men- 
tioned on  the  4th.  He  is  sixty-nine  years  old,  a  little  deaf, 
very  timid  and  retiring.  My  expectations  of  him  are  not 
disappointed.  He  says  that  he  thinks  this  is  the  true  relig- 
ion, and  the  only  one  that  provides  a  way  of  escape  from 
hell,  of  which  he  is  exceedingly  afraid,  in  consequence  of  his 
many,  many  sins. 

"■July  13.  Took  up  my  position  at  my  favorite  zayat.  It 
stands  at  the  crossing  of  two  great  roads,  the  one  leading 
from  the  river-side  to  Shway  San-dau,  and  the  other  from 
the  town  to  the  place  of  burying,  or  rather  burning,  the  dead. 
Several  funeral  processions  pass  every  day,  and  many  of  the 
followers,  in  going  or  returning,  stop  at  my  zayat  to  rest. 
To-day  there  was  a  funeral  of  distinction,  and  all  the  officers 
of  Government,  with  their  respective  suites,  attended.  In 
consequence  of  this,  the  crowd  around  me  was  greater  than 
ever  before.  But  they  were  not  hearers  of  the  right  stamp. 
Most  of  them,  being  adherents  of  Government,  were  rude, 
insolent,  and  wicked  in  the  extreme.  A  few  considerate  per- 
sons remained  till  night,  particularly  one  man,  on  whose  ac- 
count I  also  remained,  though  dreadfully  exhausted.  He 
has  been  with  me  two  days,  and  I  have  a  little  hope  that  he 
begins  to  feel  the  force  of  truth. 

"y?//v  14.     Another  day  of  hard  conflict.     The  enemy  be- 

23 


354  ^^^^  ^'^P'^  0^  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

gins  to  be  alarmed,  and  his  forces  come  on  fresh  and  fierce, 
while  we,  few  in  number,  have  to  sustain  the  combat  without 
any  human  reinforcement.  The  spirit  is  willing,  but  the 
desh  is  weak.  At  night,  felt  an  entire  prostration  of  strength, 
so  much  so  that  I  was  unable  to  go  through  with  the  evening 
service  as  usual." 

To  the  same. 

"  Prome,  August  23,  1830. 

"Dear  Brethren  and  Sisters:  Tired  of  minuting  down 
the  events  of  each  day,  I  have  written  nothing  since  my  last 
date,  July  16.  My  time  has  been  spent  in  the  same  way  as 
stated  in  the  first  part  of  that  month.  At  one  period  the 
whole  town  seemed  to  be  roused  to  listen  to  the  news  of  an 
eternal  God,  the  mission  of  His  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  way  of  salvation  through  His  atonement.  A  con- 
siderable proportion  of  the  hearers  became  favorably  dis- 
posed. At  length  the  enemy  assumed  a  threatening  aspect  ; 
the  poor  people  became  frightened  ;  many  sent  back  the 
tracts  they  had  received  ;  and  there  was  a  general  falling  off 
at  the  zayats.  I  was  summoned  to  undergo  a  long  examina- 
tion at  the  court-house,  not,  however,  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion, but  concerning  all  my  past  life  since  I  have  been  in 
Burmah.  The  result  was  forwarded  to  Ava.  The  magis- 
trates still  preserve  a  perfect  neutrality,  in  consequence  of 
the  absence  of  the  governor.  At  Ava  I  have  been  regarded 
as  a  suspicious  character  ever  since  I  deserted  them  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  went  over  to  the  British.  I  know  not 
what  impressions  the  governor  of  this  place  will  there  receive, 
or  how  he  will  feel  toward  me  when  he  is  informed  of  the 
noise  I  have  made  in  Prome  during  his  absence. 

"On  hearing  of  the  declining  health  of  brother  Boardman, 
and  brother  Wade's  intention  of  leaving  Rangoon  for  Maul- 
main,  I  had  some  thoughts  of  returning  immediately  to  Ran- 
goon. But,  on  further  consideration  and  prayer,  I  feel  that 
I  must  work  while  the  day  lasts  at  Prome.  I  have  some 
company  at  the  zayats  every  day,  and  crowds  on  days  of  wor- 
ship. Most  of  the  hearers  are  opposers  ;  but  I  observe  in 
distant  corners  those  who  listen  with  eagerness.     There  are 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


355 


five  persons  who  have,  I  trust,  obtained  a  little  grace  ;  but 
in  the  present  dark  time,  they  give  no  satisfactory  evidence. 
"  August  T,o.  Since  my  last  letters  from  Rangoon,  I  think 
continually  of  brother  Boardman,  and  the  great  loss  we  are 
threatened  with.  May  the  Lord  direct  and  support  him  and 
our  dear  sister." 


Letter  to  the  Missionaries  at  Rangoon  and  Mauhnain,  a?id  the  Corresponding 
Secretary  iti  Boston,  U.  S. 

"  Below  Prome,  September  i8,  1830. 

"Afloat  on  my  own  little  boat,  manned  by  none  other  than 
my  three  disciples,  I  take  leave  of  Prome  and  her  towering 
god  Shway  Lan-dau,  at  whose  base  I  have  been  laboring, 
with  not  the  kindest  intentions,  for  the  last  three  months  and 
a  half.  Too  firmly  founded  art  thou,  old  pile,  to  be  over- 
thrown just  at  present ;  but  the  children  of  those  who  now 
plaster  thee  with  gold  will  yet  pull  thee  down,  nor  leave  one 
brick  upon  another. 

"The  Government  writer,  Moung  Ky wet-nee,  who  recom- 
menced visiting  us  a  few  days  ago,  has  been  hanging  about 
us  for  two  hours,  lamenting  our  departure  ;  and  he  is  now 
sitting  alone  at  the  water's  edge,  looking  after  our  boat  as  it 
floats  down  the  stream.  '  Mark  me  as  your  disciple  ;  I  pray 
to  God  every  day  ;  do  you  also  pray  for  me  ;  as  soon  as  I  can 
get  free  from  my  present  engagements,  I  intend  to  come 
down  to  Rangoon,'  are  some  of  his  last  expressions. 

"The  sun  is  just  setting.  We  could  not  get  our  boat  ready 
earlier  in  the  day  ;  and,  as  it  is  Saturday  evening,  we  intend 
to  proceed  as  far  as  Men-dai,  in  order  to  spend  the  Lord's 
day  there.  There  is  no  period  of  my  missionary  life  that  I 
review  with  more  satisfaction,  or,  rather,  with  less  dissatis- 
faction, than  my  sojourn  in  Prome.  This  city  was  founded 
several  hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era.  Through 
how  many  ages  have  the  successive  generations  of  its  dark 
inhabitants  lived  and  died,  without  the  slightest  knowledge 
of  the  Great  Eternal,  and  the  only  way  of  salvation  which 
He  has  provided  !  At  length,  in  the  year  1830,  it  was  ordered 
that  a  missionary  of  the  cross  should  sit  down  in  the  heart 


356  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

of  the  city,  and  from  day  to  day,  for  above  three  months 
should  pour  forth  divine  truth  in  language  which,  if  not  elo- 
quent and  acceptable,  was  at  least  intelligible  to  all  ranks. 
What  a  wonderful  phenomenon  must  this  have  been  to  celes- 
tial beings,  who  gaze  upon  the  works  and  dispensations  of 
God  in  this  lower  world  !  It  was  necessary  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  divine  purpose,  that,  after  so  many  centu- 
ries of  darkness,  there  should  be  such  an  exhibition  of  light 
as  has  been  made,  and  no  more.  Thousands  have  heard  of 
God  who  never,  nor  their  ancestors,  heard  before.  Frequently, 
in  passing  through  the  streets,  and  in  taking  my  seat  in  the 
zayats,  I  have  felt  such  a  solemnity  and  awe  on  my  spirits  as 
almost  prevented  me  from  opening  my  lips  to  communicate 
the  momentous  message  with  which  I  was  charged.  How 
the  preacher  has  preached,  and  how  the  hearers  have  heard, 
the  day  of  judgment  will  show.  Oh,  how  many  will  find 
their  everlasting  chains  more  tight  and  intolerable  on  ac- 
count of  the  very  warnings  and  entreaties  they  have  received 
from  my  lips  !  But  what  more  can  be  done  than  has  been  done  ? 
Though  warned  and  entreated,  they  have  wilfully,  obstinately, 
and  blasphemously  refused  to  listen.  But,  blessed  be  God, 
there  are  some  whose  faces  I  expect  to  see  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  great  Judge.  The  young  man  just  mentioned,  the 
carpenter,  Moung  Shway-hlah,  a  poor  man,  by  name  Moung 
Oo,  in  addition  to  some  others  mentioned  in  former  letters, 
give  us  reason  to  hope  that  they  have  received  the  truth  in 
good  and  honest  hearts.  Many  also  there  are  who  have  be- 
come so  far  enlightened  that  I  am  sure  they  never  can  bow 
the  knee  to  Shway  Lan-dau,  without  a  distressing  conviction 
that  they  are  in  the  wrong  way.  Farewell  to  thee,  Prome  ! 
Willingly  would  I  have  spent  my  last  breath  in  thee  and  for 
thee.  But  thy  sons  ask  me  not  to  stay  ;  and  I  must  preach 
the  Gospel  to  other  cities  also,  for  therefore  am  I  sent.  Read 
the  five  hundred  tracts  that  I  have  left  with  thee.  Pray  to 
the  God  and  Saviour  that  I  have  told  thee  of.  And  if  here- 
after thou  call  me,  though  in  the  lowest  whisper,  and  it 
reach  me  in  the  very  extremities  of  the  empire,  I  will  joyfully 
listen,  and  come  back  to  thee." 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


357 


"  Men-dai,  September  19. 

"  Spent  the  day  in  the  zayat  which  I  formerly  occupied. 
The  crowds  were  very  noisy,  but  some  listened  with  attention. 
Distributed  nearly  a  hundred  tracts.  Mai  Goo  came  from 
her  village  with  two  other  women,  one  of  whom  appears  to 
have  grace.  But  Mah  Wen-yo  and  Mah  Ping  were  not  sea- 
sonably apprised  of  our  arrival.  Just  at  night,  dropped  down 
to  a  small  village  below  Men-dai,  that  we  might  have  a  little 
evening  worship  by  ourselves." 

"  Near  Rangoon,  Septe?nber  24, 

"  We  have  distributed  four  hundred  tracts  between  this 
and  Men-dai,  having  touched  at  many  of  the  principal  places 
and  spent  an  hour  or  two,  or  a  night,  as  we  could  make  it 
convenient.  We  should  have  stopped  oftener  and  stayed 
longer  had  not  our  stock  of  tracts  become  exhausted.  My 
people,  also,  began  to  be  impatient  at  the  restless  nights  we 
were  obliged  to  spend,  on  account  of  the  insufferable  annoy 
ance  of  mosquitoes  on  the  banks  of  the  river  in  the  lowei 
country  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

'■'^September  25.  Came  in  sight  of  my  old  acquaintance, 
Shway  Da-gong  ;  landed  once  more  in  Rangoon  ;  found  let- 
ters from  Maulmain,  saying  that  brother  Boardman  is  con- 
siderably better,  for  which  I  desire  to  thank  God  ;  repaired 
to  the  house  lately  occupied  by  brother  Wade.  Since  his  de- 
parture, I  find  that  some  efforts  have  been  made  to  check  the 
progress  of  religious  inquiry.  At  one  time  men  were  sta- 
tioned at  a  little  distance,  on  each  side  of  the  house,  to 
threaten  those  who  visited  the  place,  and  take  away  the  tracts 
they  had  received.  Reports  were  circulated  that  Govern- 
ment was  about  to  make  a  public  example  of  heretics  ;  the 
crowds  that  used  to  come  for  tracts  all  disappeared,  and 
Pastor  Thah-a,  who  continued  to  occupy  the  house,  became 
intimidated,  and  retreated  to  his  own  obscure  dwelling. 
Things  are,  therefore,  at  a  very  low  ebb  ;  but  we  trust  in 
God  that  the  tide  will  flow  again  in  its  own  appointed  time." 

^^  October  8.  Have  just  received  intelligence  that  about  the 
ist  of  September  the  king  issued  an  order  that  I  should  be 
removed  from  Prome,  'being  exceedingly  annoyed  that  I  was 


35$  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  yCDSO.V. 

there,  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  distributing  papers,  and 
abusing  the  Burmese  religion.'  The  woon-gyees,  being  un- 
willing to  proceed  to  extremities,  made  application  to  Major 
Burney,  the  British  resident  at  Ava,  who  assured  them  that 
he  had  no  control  over  me  ;  that  I  was  in  no  way  connected 
with  the  British  Government,  but  employed  exclusively  in 
the  duties  of  my  profession  ;  and  he  begged  them  not  to  pro- 
ceed to  adopt  a  measure  which  would  be  condemned  as  in- 
tolerant by  good  men  of  all  countries.  They  said,  however, 
that  his  majesty's  order  was  peremptory,  and  that  it  was 
necessary  for  me  to  confine  my  labors  within  the  limits  of 
Rangoon.  Major  Burney  then  consented  to  write  me  on  the 
subject," 

Although  Mr.  Judson  was  foiled  in  this  effort  to  carry  the 
Gospel  into  the  interior  of  Burmah,  yet  he  did  not  with- 
draw immediately  to  Maulmain,  but  remained  for  almost  a 
year  laboring  at  Rangoon,  situated  just  within  the  gate  of 
the  empire.  He  retreated  only  step  by  step  from  before 
Burman  intolerance,  disputing  every  inch  of  the  ground. 

Just  at  this  time  the  whole  land  seemed  peculiarly  per- 
vaded by  a  spirit  of  religious  thirst.  Everybody  was  curious 
to  know  about  this  new  religion.  The  people  seemed  to 
catch  eagerly  at  every  scrap  of  information  relating  to  Chris- 
tianity. The  ears  of  the  heathen,  to  use  their  own  vivid 
expression,  had  become  thinner.  Mr.  Judson's  house  was 
thronged  with  inquirers.  While  he  was  not  permitted  in 
person  to  preach  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  yet  in  Ran- 
goon he  freely  distributed  tracts,  and  translations  of  the 
Scriptures,  which  sped  on  their  way  far  up  the  Irrawaddy 
toward  Ava.  He  thought  it  wise  to  take  advantage  of  this 
flood-tide  of  eager  curiosity.  A  nation  has  its  moods  as 
well  as  an  individual.  Wasteful  indolence  might  indeed 
substitute  the  lavish  and  indiscriminate  use  of  printer's  ink 
for  the  personal  preaching  of  the  Gospel  by  the  living  voice. 
But,  carefully  watching  the  pulse  of  Burman  life,  he  believed 
that  at  last  the  time  had  come  when  the  printed  page  might 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMA  hV.  359 

be  made  a  mighty  engine  for  good,  and  could  not  be  too 
freely  used.  Hence,  to  Mr.  Bennett,  the  printer,  and  to  the 
other  missionaries  at  Maulmain,  he  sent  those  agonizing 
appeals  for  more  tracts,  the  echoes  of  which  were  wafted 
even  to  our  own  land. 

To  the  Missionaries  at  Afaul?nain,  particularly  Mr.  Bennett. 

"  RANGOO^f,  November  13,  1830. 

"  Dear  Brethren  :  I  wrote  you  lately  by  Ko  Ing,  since 
which  I  have  received  yours  by  Moung  En.  We  continue  to 
distribute  about  forty  tracts  a  day,  and  should  gladly  double 
the  number  if  we  could  depend  on  a  supply  from  Maulmain. 
By  tracts  I  mean  not  the  single  sheets  or  handbills,*  contain- 
ing merely  a  scrap  of  Scripture,  which,  being  wholly  inade- 
quate to  give  any  full  idea  of  the  Christian  religion,  it  is  im- 
possible to  mock  any  poor  soul  with,  when  he  holds  out  his 
hand  for  such  spiritual  food  as  his  case  requires.  They  do 
well  enough  among  the  converts,  and  if  you  find  they  are 
useful  in  your  parts,  I  shall  be  happy  to  send  you  back  those 
I  have  on  hand,  for  there  is  no  demand  for  that  article  here 

in  the  present  state  of  the  mission But  by  tracts  I 

mean  the  View,  the  Catechism,  the  Balance,  and  the  Investi- 
gator. I  earnestly  beg  the  brethren  to  wake  up  to  the  im- 
portance of  sending  a  regular  supply  of  all  these  articles. 
How  long  we  shall  be  allowed  a  footing  in  Rangoon  is  very 
uncertain.  While  a  missionary  is  here,  a  constant  stream 
ought  to  be  poured  into  the  place.  Rangoon  is  the  key  of 
the  country.  From  this  place  tracts  go  into  every  quarter. 
I  could  write  sheets  on  the  subject,  but  I  trust  that  it  is  un- 
necessary. Six  weeks  have  elapsed  since  I  wrote  for  the 
Balance,  and  for  a  few  only,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  distress  any 
one,  and  though  it  was  then  out  of  print,  it  is  not  yet  put  to 
press.  And  why  ?  Because  the  Epitome  has  been  in  the 
way.  I  am  glad  the  Epitome  is  printed  ;  but  after  all,  we 
shall  not  give  away  one  a  week  of  that  article.  The  state  of 
things  does  not  immediately  require  it.     But  of  the  Balance 


Two-page  tracts  of  Scripture  extracts. 


360  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON. 

T  shall  give  away  one  hundred  a  week.  There  are  daily  calls 
for  it.  During  the  last  six  weeks  I  should  have  given  away 
one  thousand  of  the  Balance,  and  they  would  now  be  circu- 
lating all  over  the  country.  I  found  twenty  in  the  house  on 
my  arrival,  and  have  been  dealing  them  out  like  drops  of 
heart's  blood.  There  are  few  left.  I  did  expect  some  by 
Moung  En  ;  but  alas  !  out  popped  two  bundles  of  scrippeis* 
The  book  of  Scripture  Extracts,  however,  I  am  thankful  for. 
I  do  not  write  this  with  any  disposition  to  find  fault.  I  am 
sure  you  have  done  all  for  the  best ;  and  I  feel  for  brother 
Bennett  in  his  labors  at  the  press.  I  only  blame  myself  that 
I  have  not  been  more  explicit,  and  written  more  urgently  on 
the  subject." 

To  Mr.  Bennett. 

"  Rakgoon,  February  7,  1S31. 

"  Dear  Brother  Bennett  :  I  wrote  lately  by  Moung  San- 
lone,  saying  that  the  great  festival  falls  on  the  25th  instant, 
and  begging  that,  until  that  time,  no  tracts  might  be  circu- 
lated in  your  quarter,  but  that  ever^'thing  that  could  be  got 
ready  should  be  sent  hither.  If  you  listen  to  that  petition, 
well ;  if  not,  to  repeat  it,  with  all  the  urgency  of  a  dying 
man,  would  be  of  no  use.  We  were  giving  away  at  the  rate 
of  three  to  four  hundred  per  day,  until  I  became  alarmed, 
and  reduced  the  allowance  to  two  hundred.  We  are  just, 
therefore,  keeping  our  heads  above  water.  But  we  have  no 
hopes  of  being  ready  for  the  festival  unless  you  pour  in 
fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  more  between  this  time  and  that. 
We  have  had  none  since  the  arrival  of  Moung  En.  He  and 
A  brought  good  supplies  ;  but,  alas  !  no  Views,  and  but  few 
Balances  and  Investigators.  O  when  will  the  time  come 
that  I  shall  have  as  much  as  I  want,  and  0/  the  right  kind ! 
I  have  labored  to  verj-  great  disadvantage  ever  since  I  came 
down  from  Prome,  for  want  of  the  right  kind  of  supply.  If, 
instead  of  printing  such  a  variety,  the  brethren  had  aimed 
only  at  furnishing  a  sufficient  supply  of  the  necessaries  of 
life,  how  much  better  it  would  have  been  !  I  should  not 
then  have  been  left  for  months  without  the  Balance,  or  any 


The  two-page  tracts  mentioned  above. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  361 

equivalent,  nor  be  left,  as  I  now  am,  month  after  month, 
without  the  View^the  staple  commodity.  How  distressing 
it  is  when  the  poor  people  come  crying  for  the  elements  of 
the  Christian  religion,  to  be  obliged  to  give  them  one  of  the 
small  numbers  of  the  Scripture  Extracts,  which  singly  can 
give  them  no  idea  !  By  the  way,  I  beg  you  will  send  no 
more  of  No.  8  :  it  is  just  good  for  nothing  in  the  present 
state  of  things.  I  do  not  write  thus  by  way  of  finding  fault 
with  my  brethren  ;  I  am  quite  sure  that  you  have  meant  all 
for  the  best.  I  have  made  too  many  mistakes,  and  criminal 
ones  too,  all  my  life  long,  to  allow  me  to  find  fault  with 
others.  I  only  hope  that  things  will  now  be  kept  in  such  a 
train  as  to  prevent  my  being  reduced  again  to  the  straits  1 
have  been  in  for  several  months.  When  you  have  made 
arrangements  to  insure  a  supply  of  the  four  standard  articles^ 
so  that  we  can  always  have  as  many  of  such  kind,  and  of  all 
the  kinds,  as  the  state  of  the  market  requires,  I  would  recom- 
mend to  the  brethren  to  issue  a  small  edition  of  three  thou- 
sand of  the  First  Epistle  of  John.  I  once  thought  of  Luke  ; 
but  if  you  take  hold  of  that  we  shall  be  left  to  starve  again 
for  want  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  You  say  that  there  are 
fourteen  hundred  of  the  Scripture  Extracts  remaining  ;  and 
these,  stitched  together,  or  in  two  parts,  will  answer  to  give 
in  cases  where  something  more  than  the  four  standards  is 
required.  As  to  the  Septenary,  I  would  suggest  that  it  is  to 
be  kept  for  special  cases,  and  not  distributed  promiscuously, 
for  you  will  not  want  to  print  another  edition  immediately. 
It  was  not  intended  for  general  circulation,  but  to  be  kept 
on  hand  for  the  converts  and  hopeful  inquirers.  As  to  your 
plan  of  printing  the  Catechism  and  View  together,  it  is  most 
excellent.  You  can  not  furnish  too  many  of  that  article. 
As  to  the  Balance,  it  is  now  all  the  rage,  particularly  with 
the  cut.  I  suppose  you  can  not  clap  the  cut  on  the  covers  of 
those  that  have  it  not.  It  doubles  the  value.  I  presume  that 
from  fifty  to  one  hundred  per  day  inquire  particularly  for 
the  Balance,  and  we  are  obliged  to  turn  them  off  with  some- 
thing very  inadequate  to  their  exigency.  Is  not  this  most 
awful  ?    Only  contrast  the  countenance  of  one  who  has  No.  8 


262  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

forced  upon  him  instead  of  the  Balance,  and  goes  away  feel- 
ing very  'gritty,'  with  the  countenance  of  another  who  seizes 
upon  the  desired  article,  gloats  upon  the  interesting  Bennett 
cut,  and  goes  away  almost  screaming  and  jumping  for  joy. 

"  I  see,  on  reperusing  your  letter,  that  you  speak  of  a 
second  edition  of  the  Septenary.  I  have  no  objection,  pro- 
vided it  does  not  deprive  us  again  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 
I  hope,  however,  you  will  not  abandon  the  study  of  the  lan- 
guage. The  proverb  of  the  *  cat  and  her  skin  '  I  do  not  like, 
I  have  a  much  better  one  from  the  first  authority.  '  My 
son,'  said  the  head  jailer  of  the  death-prison  at  Ava  to  an 
under-jailer,  who  was  complaining  that  they  could  get  no 
more  out  of  a  poor  fellow  whom  they  had  been  tormenting 
for  several  days,  his  wife  and  house  being  completely  strip- 
ped— 'my  son,'  said  the  venerable  old  man,  'be  sure  you 
have  never  wrung  a  rag  so  dry  but  that  another  twist  will 
bring  another  drop.'  "  .  .  .  . 

To  a  Minister  in  Thompso7i,  Conn. 

"  Rangoon,  March  4,  1831. 
"The  great  annual  festival  is  just  past,  during  which 
multitudes  come  from  the  remotest  parts  of  the  country  to 
worship  at  the  great  Shway  Da-gong  pagoda  in  this  place, 
where  it  is  believed  that  several  real  hairs  of  Gaudama  are 
enshrined.  During  the  festival  I  have  given  away  nearly 
ten  thousand  tracts,  giving  to  none  but  those  who  ask.  I 
presume  there  have  been  six  thousand  applications  at  the 
house.  Some  come  two  or  three  months'  journey,  from  the 
borders  of  Siam  and  China — '  Sir,  we  hear  that  there  is  an 
eternal  hell.  We  are  afraid  of  it.  Do  give  us  a  writing  that 
will  tell  us  how  to  escape  it.'  Others  come  from  the  frontiers 
of  Kathay,  a  hundred  miles  north  of  Ava — '  Sir,  we  have  seen 
a  writing  that  tells  about  an  eternal  God.  Are  you  the  man 
that  gives  away  such  writings  ?  If  so,  pray  give  us  one,  for 
we  want  to  know  the  truth  before  we  die.'  Others  come 
from  the  interior  of  the  country,  where  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  a  little  known — '  Are  you  Jesus  Christ's  man  ?  Give 
us  a  writing  that  tells  about  Jesus  Christ.'     Brother  Bennett 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  -^d-^ 

works  day  and  night  at  the  press  ;  but  he  is  unable  to  sup- 
ply us,  for  the  call  is  great  at  Maulmain  and  Tavoy  as  well 
as  here,  and  his  types  are  very  poor,  and  he  has  no  efficient 
help." 

But  while  thus  striving  to  satisfy  the  thirst  of  the  Bur- 
mans  for  religious  knowledge,  he  did  not  intermit  his  long 
and  laborious  task  of  translating  the  Scriptures.  He  shut 
himself  up  in  the  garret  of  the  mission-house,  leaving  his 
Burman  associates  to  deal  with  the  inquirers  below,  only- 
referring  to  him  the  more  important  cases.  In  his  seclu- 
sion, he  made  such  long  strides  in  his  work  that,  at  the 
close  of  his  stay  at  Rangoon,  he  wrote  in  his  journal,  "  1S31, 
July  19,  finished  the  translation  of  Genesis,  twenty  chapters 
of  Exodus,  Psalms,  Solomon's  Song,  Isaiah,  and  Daniel." 
An  English  lady  who  visited  Rangoon  in  1830,  and  who 
ventured  to  penetrate  his  seclusion,  thus  describes  the 
interior  of  his  study  : 

A  Visit  to  Mr.  Judson  in  183c.* 

"  Being  unexpectedly  in  Rangoon  in  the  autumn  of  1830,  and  hearing 
that  the  justly-celebrated  American  missionary,  good  Mr.  Judson,  was 
still  there,  with  indefatigable  zeal  prosecuting  his  '  labor  of  love '  in  the 
conversion  of  the  Burmese,  I  was  extremely  anxious  to  see  him  ;  and, 
having  informed  ourselves  that  a  visit  from  English  travellers  would  not 
be  deemed  a  disagreeable  intrusion,  the  captain,  his  wife,  and  myselt 
immediately  proceeded  to  Mr.  Judson's  house. 

"  It  was  a  Burman  habitation,  to  which  we  had  to  ascend  by  a  ladder ; 
aijd  we  entered  a  large,  low  room  through  a  space  like  a  trap-door. 
The  beams  of  the  roof  were  uncovered,  and  the  window-frames  were 
open,  after  the  fashion  of  Burman  houses.  The  furniture  consisted  of  a 
table  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  a  few  stools,  and  a  desk,  with  writings 
and  books  neatly  arranged  on  one  side.  We  were  soon  seated,  and 
were  most  anxious  to  hear  all  that  the  good  man  had  to  say,  who,  in  a 
resigned  tone,  spoke  of  his  departed  wife  in  a  manner  which  plainly 
showed  that  he  had  set  his  affections  '  where  alone  true  joy  can  be 
found.'  He  dwelt  with  much  pleasure  on  the  translation  of  the  Bible 
into  the  Burman  language.    He  had  completed  the  New  Testament,  and 


*  Bj'  Miss  Emma  Roberts,  author  of  "  Scenes  and  Characteristics  of  Hicdostan." 


364  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

was  then  as  far  as  the  Psalms  in  the  Old  Testament,  which  having 
finished,  he  said  he  trusted  it  would  be  the  will  of  his  heavenly  Father 
to  call  him  to  his  everlasting  home. 

"  Of  the  conversions  going  on  amongst  the  Burmese  he  spoke  with 
certainty,  not  doubting  that  when  the  flame  of  Christianity  did  burst 
forth,  it  would  surprise  even  him  by  its  extent  and  brilliancy.  As  we 
were  thus  conversing,  the  bats,  which  frequent  the  houses  at  Rangoon, 
began  to  take  their  evening  round,  and  whirled  closer  and  closer  till 
they  came  in  almost  disagreeable  contact  with  our  heads ;  and  the  flap 
of  the  heav>-  wings  so  near  us  interrupting  the  conversation,  we  at 
length  reluctantly  took  our  leave  and  departed.  And  this,  thought  I, 
as  I  descended  the  dark  ladder,  is  the  solitary  abode  of  Judson,  whom 
after-ages  shall  designate,  most  justly,  the  great  and  the  good.  It  is 
the  abode  of  one  of  whom  the  world  is  not  worthy ;  of  one  who  has 
been  imprisoned,  chained,  and  starved,  and  yet  who  dares  still  to  prose- 
cute his  work  in  the  midst  of  the  people  who  have  thus  treated  him. 
America  may  indeed  be  proud  of  having  given  birth  to  so  excellent  and 
admirable  a  man,  who,  amidst  the  trials,  sufferings,  and  bereavements 
with  which  it  has  pleased  Heaven  to  afflict  him,  still  stands  with  his 
lamp  brightly  burning  waiting  his  Lord's  coming. 

"  If  there  be  any  man  of  whom  we  may  without  presumption  feel 
assured  that  we  will  hear  the  joyful  words,  '  Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithful  servant,'  it  is  certainly  the  pious  Judson,  the  great  and  persever- 
ing founder  of  Christianity  in  a  land  of  dark  idolatry  and  superstition." 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  Mission  Board  in  this 
country  sent  him  an  earnest  and  affectionate  invitation  to 
revisit  his  native  land.  He  was  about  forty-two  years  old-, 
and  had  been  absent  from  America  eighteen  years.  His 
health  was  shattered.  His  family  he  had  laid  in  the  grave. 
He  said  several  years  later  that  he  had  never  seen  a  ship 
sail  out  of  the  port  of  Maulmain  bound  for  England  or 
America  without  an  almost  irrepressible  inclination  to  get 
on  board  and  visit  again  the  home  of  his  boyhood.  And 
yet  in  reply  to  this  urgent  invitation  from  his  brethren,  he 
wrote : 

To  the  Corresponding  Secretary. 

"  Rangoon,  December  20,  1830. 

"Rev.  and  dkar  Sir:  I  am  happy  to  inform  the  Board 
that  my  health,  which  was  rather  impaired  some  time  ago,  is 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  365 

now  quite  good  ;  so  that  I  should  not  feel  justified  in  accept- 
ing their  invitation  to  return  home. 

"At  the  same  time,  the  kind  feeling  which  dictated  the 
invitation,  and  the  affection,  though  undeserved,  which 
breathes  in  every  line,  have  made  an  indelible  impression 
on  my  heart.  I  must  confess  that,  in  meditating  on  the  sub- 
ject, I  have  felt  an  almost  unconquerable  desire  to  become 
personally  acquainted  with  my  beloved  patrons  and  corre- 
spondents, the  members  of  the  Board,  as  well  as  to  rove  once 
more  over  the  hills  and  valleys  of  my  own  native  land,  to 
recognize  the  still  surviving  companions  of  my  youth,  and 
to  witness  the  widespread  and  daily-increasing  glories  of 
Immanuel's  kingdom  in  that  land  of  liberty,  blessed  of 
Heaven  with  temporal  and  spiritual  blessings  above  all 
others. 

"  However,  I  anticipate  a  happier  meeting,  brighter  plains, 
friends  the  same,  but  more  lovely  and  beloved  ;  and  I  expect 
soon  to  witness,  yea,  enjoy,  that  glory  in  comparison  of  which 
all  on  earth  is  but  a  shadow.  With  that  anticipation  I  con- 
tent myself,  assured  that  we  shall  not  then  regret  any  in- 
stance of  self-denial  or  suffering  endured  for  the  Lord  of  life 
and  glory." 

Yet  he,  who  was  so  forgetful  of  self,  cared,  with  alnnost 
womanly  tenderness,  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  missionary  toil. 

To  the  Missionaries  in  Maulmain. 

"  Rangoon,  March  3,  1831. 

"  Dear  Brethren  and  Sisters  :  I  am  grieved  that  sister 
Wade,  after  running  down  to  Amherst,  and  deriving  a  little 
benefit  during  a  few  days'  stay,  thinks  she  must  return,  and 
probably  has  by  this  time  returned,  because  sister  Bennett  is 
quite  worn  out,  'having  everything  to  do.'  Now,  it  appears 
to  me  that  the  better  way  to  have  remedied  that  evil  would 
have  been  for  sister  Bennett  to  run  away  from  all  her  cares 
and  take  the  air  at  Amherst  too. 

"Mrs.  Jones,  I  hear,  is  also  ill,  and  Mrs.  Kincaid  has  not,  I 


366  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

believe,  much  health  to  spare.  Now,  as  you  have  two  monihs 
of  very  trying  weather  to  sustain,  I  earnestly  beg  that  you 
will  all  take  into  serious  consideration  the  propriety  of  repair- 
ing Landale's  house  forthwith,  or  some  other,  and  placing 
one  or  two  of  the  ladies,  by  turns,  to  keep  the  post,  until  the 
rainy  season  sets  in.  Mrs.  Wade,  I  humbly  conceive,  ought 
to  be  immediately  apprehended  and  sent  back  as  a  deserter. 
And  certainly  no  one  ought  to  hesitate  a  moment  at  leaving 
mission  or  domestic  cares  for  the  preservation  of  health. 
When  our  best  beloved  are  once  laid  in  the  cold  grave,  no 
cries,  or  tears,  or  remorse  will  bring  them  back.  Many  faith- 
ful,servants  and  handmaids  of  the  Lord  might  have  been 
spared  many  years,  had  they  only  relaxed  before  they  made 
their  last  effort. 

"  If  you  have  a  house  at  Amherst  during  the  hot  season, 
some  of  the  brethren,  too,  may  be  benefited  by  an  excursion 
thither.  Brother  Bennett  will  certainly  need  a  week's  relax- 
ation there  or  somewhere  else However,  I  only  sub- 
mit these  hasty  thoughts  for  your  consideration.  You  are 
on  the  spot,  and  know  better  than  I  what  is  necessary  and 
proper.  May  God  preserve  your  precious  lives  many  years  ; 
for,  though  the  prospect  of  death  may  not  be  grievous,  but 
joyous,  'the  harvest  is  plenteous,  and  the  laborers  are  few.'  " 

While  in  Rangoon  he  received  the  heavy  tidings  that  the 
beloved  Boardman  had  died  in  the  jungles  back  of  Tavoy. 
He  thus  wrote  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary : 

"  One  of  the  brightest  luminaries  of  Burmah  is  extin- 
guished ;  dear  brother  Boardman  has  gone  to  his  eternal 
rest.  I  have  heard  no  particulars,  except  that  he  died  on  re- 
turning from  his  last  expedition  to  the  Karen  villages,  within 
one  day's  march  of  Tavoy.  He  fell  gloriously  at  the  head  of 
his  troops,  in  the  arms  of  victory  ;  thirty-eight  wild  Karens 
having  been  brought  into  the  camp  of  King  Jesus  since  the 
beginning  of  the  year,  besides  the  thirty-two  that  were 
brought  in  during  the  two  preceding  years.  Disabled  by 
mortal  wounds,  he  was  obliged,  through  the  whole  of  his  last 
expedition,  to  be  carried  on  a  litter  ;  but  his  presence  was 


LIFE  IN  MA  UL  MA  IN.  367 

a  host,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  accompanied  his  dying  whispers 
with  almighty  influence.  Such  a  death,  next  to  that  of  mar- 
tyrdom, must  be  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  Heaven.  Well  may 
we  rest  assured  that  a  triumphal  crown  awaits  him  on  the 
great  day,  and  'Well  done,  good  and  faithful  Boardman, 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.'  I  have  great  confidence 
in  sister  Boardman,  that  she  will  not  desert  her  husband's 
post,  but  carry  on  the  work  which  he  has  gloriously  begun." 

Sorrow  had  come  upon  the  Boardman  household  in  quick 
and  uninterrupted  succession.     Mrs.  Boardman  wrote: 

"  In  our  domestic  relation,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  has  been  very  heavy 
upon  us.  About  a  year  and  a  half  ago  we  lost  our  eldest  child,  a  lovely 
daughter,  two  years  and  eight  months  old  ;  four  months  since,  we  buried 
our  youngest,  a  sweet  little  boy  of  eight  months  and  a  half." 

The  death  of  the  eldest  child  is  thus  pathetically  described 
by  Mrs.  Boardman's  biographer: 

'"Sarah  is  as  plump  and  rosy-cheeked  as  we  could  wish.  Oh  !  how 
delighted  you  would  be  to  see  her,  and  hear  her  prattle  ! '  Thus  wrote 
the  mother  in  her  happiness ;  and,  in'  a  httle  more  than  two  weeks  after, 
she  saw  her  darling,  speechless  and  motionless,  in  her  little  shroud.  '  I 
knew  all  the  lime,'  says  the  bereaved  parent,  '  that  she  was  very  ill  ;  but 
it  did  not  once  occur  to  me  that  she  might  die,  till  she  was  seized  with 
the  apoplexy,  about  three  hours  before  she  closed  her  eyes  upon  us  for- 
ever. Oh  !  the  agony  of  that  moment ! '  And  in  that  agonized  moment, 
as  the  shadow  of  eternity  fell  upon  the  spirit  of  the  little  sufferer,  and  a 
vista,  which  her  eye  could  not  discern,  but  from  which  her  failing  nature 
instinctively  recoiled,  opened  before  her,  she  looked  with  anxious  alarm 
into  her  mother's  face,  and  exclaimed  :  '  I  frightened  !  mamma  !  I  fright- 
ened ! '  What  a  strange  thing  is  death.  The  tender  nursling,  who,  in 
moments  of  even  imagined  ill,  had  clung  to  the  mother's  bosom,  and 
been  sheltered  in  her  arms,  now  hovered  over  a  dark,  unfathomed  gulf, 
and  turned  pleadingly  to  the  same  shield — but  it  had  failed.  The  mother's 
arm  was  powerless  ;  her  foot  could  not  follow  ;  and  the  trembling  babe 
passed  on  alone,  to  find  her  fears  allayed  on  an  angel's  bosom." 

Little  Sarah's  death  was  soon  followed  by  the  revolt  of 
Tavoy,  and  during  this  brief  uprising  of  the  Burmans  against 
their  masters,  Mr.  Boardman  had  been  subjected  to  an  ex- 
posure  and  hardship  such  as  his  consumptive  habit  was  ill 


368  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

able  to  endure.  From  that  time  he  visibly  declined.  To 
use  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson's  words:  "His  cheeks  were  a  little 
more  hollow,  and  the  color  on  them  more  flickering;  his 
eyes  were  brighter,  and  seemingly  more  deeply  set  beneath 
the  brow,  and  immediately  below  them  was  a  faint,  indis- 
tinct arc  of  mingled  ash  and  purple  like  the  shadow  of  a 
faded  leaf ;  his  lips  were  sometimes  of  a  clayey  pallor,  and 
sometimes  they  glowed  with  crimson ;  and  his  fingers  were 
long,  and  the  hands  of  a  partially  transparent  thinness." 

The  newly-appointed  missionary  to  the  Karens,  Mr. 
Mason,  arrived  in  Tavoy  June  3,  1831.  "On  the  jetty,"  he 
wrote,  "  reclining  helplessly  in  the  chair  which  had  served 
the  purpose  of  a  carriage,  a  pale,  worn-out  man,  with  the 
characters  of  death  in  his  countenance,  waited  to  welcome 
his  successor."  Mr.  Boardman  was  preparing  to  take  a  tour 
into  the  jungle  in  order  to  baptize  some  recent  Karen  con- 
verts. His  emaciated  form  was  to  be  carried  on  a  litter 
several  days'  journey  into  the  wilderness.  Remonstrance 
was  unavailing  ;  for  he  had  set  his  heart  upon  accomplishing 
his  purpose.  Besides,  it  was  thought  that  the  change  of  air 
might  do  him  good.  Even  after  setting  out,  he  was  advised 
to  return  ;  but  his  reply  was :  "  The  cause  of  God  is  of  more 
importance  than  my  health,  and  if  I  return  now,  our  whole 
object  will  be  defeated.  I  want  to  see  the  work  of  the 
Lord  go  on."  The  closing  scene  of  his  life  is  thus  described 
by  Mrs.  Boardman  : 

"  On  Wednesday  evening  thirty-four  persons  were  baptized.  Mr. 
Boardman  was  carried  to  the  water-side,  though  so  weak  that  he  could 
hardly  breathe  without  the  continual  use  of  the  fan  and  the  smelling- 
bottle.  The  joyful  sight  was  almost  too  much  for  his  feeble  frame. 
When  we  reached  the  chapel,  he  said  he  would  like  to  sit  up  and  take 
tea  with  us.  We  placed  his  cot  near  the  table,  and  having  bolstered  him 
up,  we  took  tea 'together.  He  asked  the  blessing,  and  did  it  with  his 
right  hand  upraised,  and  in  a  tone  that  struck  me  to  the  heart.  It  was 
the  same  tremulous,  yet  urgent,  and  I  had  almost  said,  unearthly  voice, 
with  which  my  aged  grandfather  used  to  pray.  We  now  began  to  notice 
that  brightening  of  the  mental  faculties  which  I  had  hear  1  spoken  of  in 
persons  near  their  end. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  369 

"  After  tea  was  removed,  all  the  disciples  present,  about  fifty  in  num- 
ber, gathered  around  him,  and  he  addressed  them  for  a  few  moments  in 
language  like  the  following:  '  I  did  hope  to  stay  with  you  till  after  Lord's 
day,  and  administer  to  you  once  more  the  Lord's  supper.  But  God  is 
calling  me  away  from  you.  I  am  about  to  die,  and  shall  soon  be  incon- 
ceivably happy  in  heaven.  When  I  am  gone,  remember  what  I  have 
taught  you ;  and  O,  be  careful  to  persevere  unto  the  end,  that  when  you 
die  we  may  meet  one  another  in  the  presence  of  God,  never  more  to  part. 
Listen  to  the  word  of  the  new  teacher  and  the  teacheress  as  you  have  done 
to  mine.  The  teacheress  will  be  very  much  distressed.  Strive  to  lighten 
her  burdens,  and  comfort  her  by  your  good  conduct.  Do  not  neglect 
prayer.  The  eternal  God  to  whom  you  pray  is  unchangeable.  Earthly 
teachers  sicken  and  die,  but  God  remains  forever  the  same.  Love  Jesus 
Christ  with  all  your  hearts,  and  you  will  be  forever  safe.'  This  address 
I  gathered  from  the  Karens,  as  I  was  absent  preparing  his  things  for  the 
night.  Having  rested  a  few  minutes,  he  offered  a  short  prayer,  and  then, 
with  Mr.  Mason's  assistance,  distributed  tracts  and  portions  of  Scripture 
to  them  all.  Early  the  next  morning  we  left  for  home,  accompanied  by 
nearly  all  the  males  and  some  of  the  females,  the  remainder  returning  to 
their  homes  in  the  wilderness.  Mr.  Boardman  was  free  from  pain  during 
the  day,  and  there  was  no  unfavorable  change,  except  that  his  mouth 
grew  sore.  But  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  were  overtaken  by  a 
violent  shower  of  rain,  accompanied  by  lightning  and  thunder.  There 
was  no  house  in  sight,  and  we  were  obliged  to  remain  in  the  open  air, 
exposed  to  the  merciless  storm.  We  covered  him  with  mats  and  blan- 
kets, and  held  our  umbrellas  over  him,  all  to  no  purpose.  I  was  obliged 
to  stand  and  see  the  storm  beating  upon  him,  till  his  mattress  and 
pillows  were  drenched  with  rain.  We  hastened  on,  and  soon  came  to  a 
Tavoy  house.  The  inhabitants  at  tirst  refused  us  admittance,  and  we 
ran  for  shelter  into  the  out-houses.  The  shed  I  happened  to  enter 
proved  to  be  the  '  house  of  their  gods,'  and  thus  I  committed  an  almost 
unpardonable  offence.  After  some  persuasion  they  admitted  us  into  the 
house,  or  rather  veranda,  for  they  would  not  allow  us  to  sleep  inside, 
though  I  begged  the  privilege  for  my  sick  husband  with  tears.  In  ordi- 
nary cases,  perhaps,  they  would  have  been  hospitable ;  but  they  knew 
that  Mr.  Boardman  was  the  teacher  of  a  foreign  religion,  and  that  the 
Karens  in  our  company  had  embraced  that  religion. 

"  At  evening  worship,  Mr.  Boardman  requested  Mr.  Mason  to  read  the 
thirty-fourth  Psalm.  He  seemed  almost  spent,  and  said,  '  This  poor 
perishing  dust  will  soon  be  laid  in  the  grave;  but  God  can  employ  other 
lumps  of  clay  to  perform  His  will  as  easily  as  He  has  this  poor  unworthy 
one.'  I  told  him  I  should  like  to  sit  up  and  watch  by  him,  but  he  ob- 
24 


370  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

jected,  and  said  in  a  tender,  supplicating  tone,  '  Can  not  we  sleep 
together  ? '  The  rain  still  continued,  and  his  cot  was  wet,  so  that  he  was 
obliged  to  lie  on  the  bamboo  floor.  Having  found  a  place  where  cur 
little  boy  could  sleep  without  danger  of  falling-  throug^h  openings  in  the 
floor,  I  threw  myself  down,  without  undressing,  beside  my  beloved  hus- 
band. I  spoke  to  him  often  during  the  night,  and  he  said  he  felt  well, 
excepting  an  uncomfortable  feeling  in  his  mouth  and  throat.  This  was 
somewhat  relieved  by  frequent  washings  with  cold  water.  Miserably 
wretched  as  his  situation  was,  he  did  not  complain ;  on  the  contrary,  his 
heart  seemed  overflowing  with  gratitude.  '  O,'  said  he,  'how  kind  and 
good  our  Father  in  heaven  is  to  me ;  how  many  are  racked  with  pain, 
while  I,  though  near  the  grave,  am  almost  free  from  distress  of  body, 
I  suffer  nothing,  Jiothittg  to  what  you,  my  dear  Sarah,  had  to  endure  last 
year,  when  I  thought  I  must  lose  you.  And  then  I  have  you  to  move 
me  so  tenderly.  I  should  have  sunk  into  the  grave  ere  this,  but  for  your 
assiduous  attention.  And  brother  Mason  is  as  kind  to  me  as  if  he  were 
my  own  brother.  And  then  how  many,  in  addition  to  pain  of  body,  have 
anguish  of  soul,  while  my  mind  is  sweetly  stayed  on  God.'  On  my  say- 
ing, '  I  hope  we  shall  be  at  home  to-morrow  night,  where  you  can  lie 
on  your  comfortable  bed,  and  I  can  nurse  you  as  I  wish,' he  said,  'I 
want  nothing  that  the  world  can  afford  but  my  wife  and  friends ;  earthly 
conveniences  and  comforts  are  of  little  consequence  to  one  so  near 
heaven.  I  only  want  them  for  your  sake.'  In  the  morning  we  thought 
him  a  little  better,  though  I  perceived,  when  I  gave  him  his  sago,  that 
his  breath  was  ver)'  short.  He,  however,  took  rather  more  nourishment 
than  usual,  and  spoke  about  the  manner  of  his  conveyance  home.  We 
ascertained  that  by  waiting  until  twelve  o'clock  we  could  go  the  greater 
part  of  the  way  by  water. 

"  At  about  nine  o'clock  his  hands  and  feet  grew  cold,  and  the  affec- 
tionate Karens  rubbed  them  all  the  forenoon,  excepting  a  few  moments 
when  he  requested  to  be  left  alone.  At  ten  o'clock  he  was  much  dis- 
tressed for  breath,  and  I  thought  the  long-dreaded  moment  had  arrived. 
I  asked  him  if  he  felt  as  if  he  was  going  home, — '  Not  just  yet,'  he  re- 
plied. On  giving  him  a  little  wine  and  water  he  revived.  Shortly  after, 
he  said,  '  You  were  alarmed  without  cause  just  now,  dear — I  know  the 
reason  of  the  distress  I  felt,  but  am  too  vveak  to  explain  it  to  you."  In  a 
few  moments  he  said  to  me,  '  Since  you  spoke  to  me  about  George,  I 
have  prayed  for  him  almost  incessantly — more  than  in  all  my  life  before.' 

"  It  drew  near  twelve,  the  time  for  us  to  go  to  the  boat.  We  were  dis- 
tressed at  the  thought  of  removing  him,  when  evidently  so  near  the  last 
struggle,  though  we  did  not  think  it  so  near  as  it  really  was.  But  there 
was  no  alternative.     The  chilling  frown  of  the  iron-faced  Tavoyan  was 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


371 


to  us  as  if  he  was  continually  saying,  '  Be  g-one.'  I  wanted  a  little  broth 
for  my  expiring  husband,  but  on  asking  them  for  a  fowl  they  said  they 
had  none,  though  at  that  instant,  on  glancing  my  eye  through  an  opening 
in  the  floor,  I  saw  three  or  four  under  the  house.  My  heart  was  well- 
nigh  breaking. 

"  We  hastened  to  the  boat,  which  was  only  a  few  steps  from  the  house. 
The  Karens  carried  Mr.  Boardman  first,  and  as  the  shore  was  muddy,  I 
was  obliged  to  wait  till  they  could  return  for  me.  They  took  me  imme- 
diately to  him  ;  but  O,  the  agony  of  my  soul  when  I  saw  the  hand  of 
death  was  on  him!  He  was  looking  me  full  in  the  face,  but  his  eyes 
were  changed,  not  dimmed,  but  brightened,  and  the  pupils  so  dilated  that 
I  feared  he  could  not  see  me.  I  spoke  to  him — kissed  him — but  he  made 
no  return,  though  I  fancied  that  he  tried  to  move  his  lips.  I  pressed  his 
hand,  knowing  that,  if  he  could,  he  would  return  the  pressure  ;  but,  alas  1 
for  the  first  time,  he  was  insensible  to  my  love,  and  forever.  I  had 
brought  a  glass  of  wine  and  water  already  Aixed,  and  a  smelling-bottle, 
but  neither  was  of  any  avail  to  him  now.  Agreeably  to  a  previous  re- 
quest, I  called  the  faithful  Karens,  who  loved  him  so  much  and  whom  he 
had  loved  unto  death,  to  come  and  watch  his  last  gentle  breathings,  for 
there  was  no  struggle. 

"  Never,  my  dear  parents,  did  pne  of  our  poor  fallen  race  have  less  to 
contend  with  in  the  last  enemy.  Little  George  was  brought  to  see  his 
dying  father,  but  he  was  too  young  to  know  there  was  cause  for  grief. 
When  Sarah  died,  her  father  said  to  George,  '  Poor  little  boy,  you  will 
not  know  to-morrow  what  you  have  lost  to-day.'  A  deep  pang  rent  my 
bosom  at  the  recollection  of  this,  and  a  still  deeper  one  succeeded  when 
the  thought  struck  me,  that  though  my  little  boy  may  not  know  to- 
morrow what  he  has  lost  to-day,  yet  when  years  have  rolled  by,  and  he 
shall  have  felt  the  unkindness  of  a  deceitful,  selfish  world,  he  will  know  " 

Death  of  Boardman.* 

"  Pale  with  sickness,  weak  and  worn, 
Is  the  Christian  hero  borne 
Over  hill,  and  brook,  and  fen. 
By  his  band  of  swart,  wild  men. 
Dainty  odors  floating  back 
From  their  blossom-crushing  track. 

"  Through  the  jungle,  vast  and  dim. 
Swells  out  Nature's  matin  hymn  : 


By  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson. 


372 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON, 

Bulbuls  'mid  the  berries  red. 
Showers  of  mellow  music  shed  ; 
Thrushes  'neath  their  crimson  hoods 
Chant  their  loves  along  the  woods  ; 

"And  the  heron,  as  he  springs 
Up,  with  startled  rush  of  wings, 
Joins  the  gorgeous  peacock's  scream  ; 
While  the  gushing  of  the  stream 
Gives  sweet  cadence  to  the  hymn, 
Swelling  through  the  jungle  dim, 

"  So  they  bear  him  on  his  way, 
Till  the  sunless  sky  is  gray ; 
Then  within  some  lone  zayat 
Gentle  fingers  spread  the  mat ; 
And  a  watcher,  sad  and  wan. 
Bends  above  him  till  the  dawn. 

"  Up  and  on  !     The  tangled  brake 
Hides  the  deadly  water-snake  ; 
And  the  tiger,  from  his  lair 
Half  up-springing,  snuffs  the  air. 
Doubtful  gazing  where  they  pass. 
Trailing  through  the  long  wet  grass. 

•  Day  has  faded— rosy  dawn 
Blushed  again  o'er  wood  and  lawn ; 
Day  has  deepened — level  beams 
Light  the  brook  in  changeful  gleams, 
Breaking  in  a  golden  flood 
Round  strange  groupings  in  the  wood. 

"  There,  where  mountains  wild  and  high 
Range  their  peaks  along  the  sky, 
Lo  !  they  pause.     A  crimson  glow 
Burns  upon  that  cheek  of  snow  ; 
And  within  the  eyes'  soft  blue 
Quiver  tears  like  drops  of  dew. 

"  Upward,  from  the  wooded  dell, 
High  the  joyous  greetings  swell, 
Peal  on  peal ;  then  circhng  round, 
Turbaned  heads  salute  the  ground. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  373 

While  upon  the  dewy  air 

Floats  a  faint,  soft  voice  in  prayer. 

"  With  the  fever  on  his  cheek, 
Breathing  forth  his  teachings  meek. 
Long  the  Gospel-bearer  lies. 
Till  the  stars  have  climbed  the  skies. 
And  the  young  moon's  slender  rim 
Hides  behind  the  mountain  grim, 

"  'Twas  for  this  sweet  boon  he  came, 
Crushing  hack  Death's  eager  claim  ; 
Yet  a  few  more  Iambs  to  fold. 
Ere  he  mingles  with  the  mold — 
Lambs  with  torn  and  crimsoned  fleece, 
Wildered  in  this  wilderness. 

"  Once  again  the  golden  day 
Drops  her  veil  of  silver  gray ; 
And  that  dark-eyed  mountain  band 
Print  with  bare,  brown  feet  the  sand. 
Or  the  crystal  wave  turn  back, 
Rippling  from  their  watery  track. 

"  Meekly  down  the  river's  bed 
Sire  and  son  alike  are  led. 
Parting  the  baptismal  flood. 
As  of  old  in  Judah's  wood  ; 
While  throughout  the  sylvan  glen 
Rings  the  stern,  deep-voiced  Amen. 

"  With  the  love-light  in  his  eyes. 
Mute  the  dying  teacher  lies. 
It  is  finished.     Bear  him  back  ! 
Haste  along  the  jungle  track  ! 
See  the  lid  uplifting  now — 
See  the  glory  on  his  brow. 

"  It  is  finished.     Wood  and  glen 
Sigh  their  mournful,  meek  Amen. 
'Mid  that  circle,  sorrow  spanned, 
Clasping  close  an  icy  hand, 
Lo  !  the  midnight  watcher  wan, 
Waiting  yet  another  dawn." 


374  1'^^  L^P^  ^^  ADONIRAM  JUDSQN. 

When  Mrs.  Boardman  with  her  son  George,  about  two 
years  and  a  half  old,  were  thus  suddenly  left  in  all  the  per- 
plexity and  desolation  of  widowhood  and  fatherlessness,  she 
received  from  Mr.  Judson  the  following  words  of  tenderest 
consolation  and  counsel : 

To  Mrs.  Boardman. 

"  Rangoon,  March  4,  1S31. 

"  My  dear  Sister  :  You  are  now  drinking  the  bitter  cup 
whose  dregs  I  am  somewhat  acquainted  with.  And  though, 
for  some  time,  you  have  been  aware  of  its  approach,  I  vent- 
ure to  say  that  it  is  far  bitterer  than  you  expected.  It  is 
common  for  persons  in  your  situation  to  refuse  all  consola- 
tion, to  cling  to  the  dead,  and  to  fear  that  they  shall  too 
soon  forget  the  dear  object  of  their  affettions.  But  don't  be 
concerned.  I  can  assure  you  that  months  and  months  of 
heartrending  anguish  are  before  you,  whether  you  will  or 
not.  I  can  only  advise  you  to  take  the  cup  with  both  hands, 
and  sit  down  quietly  to  the  bitter  repast  which  God  has  ap- 
pointed for  your  sanctification.  As  to  your  beloved,  you 
know  that  all  his  tears  are  wiped  awa}^,  and  that  the  diadem 
which  encircles  his  brow  outshines  the  sun.  Little  Sarah 
and  the  other  have  again  found  their  father,  not  the  frail, 
sinful  mortal  that  they  left  on  earth,  but  an  immortal  saint, 
a  magnificent,  majestic  king.  What  more  can  you  desire  for 
them  ?  While,  therefore,  your  tears  flow,  let  a  due  proportion 
be  tears  of  joy.  Yet  take  the  bitter  cup  with  both  hands, 
and  sit  down  to  your  repast.  You  will  soon  learn  a  secret, 
that  there  is  sweetness  at  the  bottom.  You  will  find  it  the 
sweetest  cup  that  you  ever  tasted  in  all  your  life.  You  will 
find  heaven  coming  near  to  you,  and  familiarity  with  your 
husband's  voice  will  be  a  connecting  link,  drawing  you  almost 
within  the  sphere  of  celestial  music. 

"  I  think,  from  what  I  know  of  your  mind,  that  you  will 
not  desert  the  post,  but  remain  to  carry  on  the  work  which 
he  gloriously  began.  The  Karens  of  Tavoy  regard  you  as 
their  spiritual  mother  ;  and  the  dying  prayers  of  your  be- 
loved are  waiting  to  be  answered  in  blessings  on  your  in- 
structions. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  375 

"As  to  little  Georgie,  who  has  now  no  earthly  father  to 
care  for  him,  you  can  not,  of  course,  part  with  him  at  pres- 
ent. But  if  you  should  wish  to  send  him  home,  I  pledge 
myself  to  use  what  little  influence  I  have  in  procuring  for 
him  all  those  advantages  of  education  which  your  fondest 
wishes  can  desire.  Or  if  you  should  be  prematurely  taken 
away,  and  should  condescend,  on  your  dying  bed,  to  commit 
him  to  me,  by  the  briefest  line  or  verbal  message,  I  hereby 
pledge  my  fidelity  to  receive  and  treat  him  as  my  own  son, 
to  send  him  home  in  the  best  time  and  way,  to  provide  for 
his  education,  and  to  watch  over  him  as  long  as  I  live.  More 
than  this  I  can  not  do,  and  less  would  be  unworthy  of  the 
merits  of  his  parents." 


CHAPTER   X. 

LIFE   IN   MAULMAIN   (CONTINUED). 
1831-1845. 

It  now  became  Mr.  Judson's  duty  to  return  to  Maulmain. 
He  had  been  absent  thirteen  months.  The  first  part  of 
that  time  had  been  spent  in  the  futile  effort  to  estabHsh  a 
mission  at  Prome,  and  the  last  part  he  had  labored  alone 
with  native  converts  at  Rangoon,  distributing  tracts,  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  and  translating  the  Scriptures.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wade  had  repaired  to  Rangoon  soon  after  his  return  from 
Prome ;  but  Mrs.  Wade's  health  had  so  completely  broken 
down  that  it  was  thought  best  for  her  and  her  husband  to 
take  a  voyage  to  America.  The  ship  in  which  the  Wades 
sailed  was  driven  out  of  its  course  by  violent  gales,  and  at 
last  put  into  a  port  on  the  coast  of  Arracan.  Here  Mrs. 
Wade's  health  was  so  much  improved  that  the  idea  of  going 
to  America  was  given  up,  and  they  returned  to  Maulmain 
instead.  But,  in  the  meantime,  Mr.  Judson's  presence 
seemed  indispensable  there.  A  new  party  of  missionaries 
had  arrived  from  America,  including  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kincaid,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones.  The 
Masons  had  gone  to  Tavoy.  Mr.  Jones  went  to  Rangoon 
to  take  Mr.  Judson's  place,  and  the  Kincaids  were  still 
staying  at  Maulmain. 

When  he  returned  to  Maulmain,  he  saw  much  to  delight 

his  heart.      The  little   church   had   been   enlarged    by  the 

baptism   of   many   Burmese,    Karens,    and    Talings.      Two 

millions  of  pages  of  tracts  and  translations  of  Scripture  had 

(376) 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN: 


377 


been  printed.  The  missionaries  had  also  made  repeated 
journeys  into  the  jungle,  where  a  church  of  fourteen  mem- 
bers had  been  organized  at  a  place  called  Wadesville,  in 
honor  of  the  missionary  who  had  first  preached  the  Gospel 
there.  At  the  close  of  1831,  Mr.  Judson  reported  on  behalf 
of  the  Burman  mission  two  hundred  and  seventeen  persons 
as  baptized  during  the  year ;  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  at 
Maulmain,  seventy-six  at  Tavoy,  and  five  at  Rangoon. 

Soon  after  returning  from  Rangoon  to  Maulmain,  he  en- 
tered upon  a  new  field  of  operations.  Whenever  his  close 
confinement  to  the  work  of  translation  necessitated  a  change 
of  air  and  scene,  it  was  his  custom  to  take  a  tour  among  the 
wild  Karen  tribes  occupying  the  jungle  back  of  Maulmain. 
His  restless  spirit  was  always  longing  to  press  into  the  in- 
terior of  the  country,  and  the  great  Irrawaddy  valley  being 
closed  to  him,  there  was  nothing  left  but  to  penetrate  Bur- 
rpah  by  the  Salwen  and  its  tributaries,  which  constitute  the 
second  of  the  river  systems  by  which  the  land  is  drained. 

The  Karens,  as  their  very  name  indicates,  were  wild  men. 
They  are  distributed  throughout  Burmah,  Siam,  and  parts 
of  China,  and  number  from  two  hundred  thousand  to  four 
hundred  thousand.  They  are,  perhaps,  the  remnants  of  an 
aboriginal  and  subjugated  race.  They  are  looked  down 
upon  by  the  Burmese  as  inferiors.  They  speak  a  different 
language,  and  have  distinct  race  characteristics.  Mr.  Board- 
man,  who  was  their  first  missionary,  thus  describes  them  : 

"The  Karens  are  the  simplest  children  of  nature  I  have  ever  seen. 
They  have  been  compared  to  the  aborigines  of  America,  but  they  are  as 
much  inferior,  both  in  mental  and  physical  strength,  as  a  puny  effeminate 
Hindoo  is  inferior  to  a  sturdy  Russian,  or  a  British  grenadier.  Of  all 
people  in  the  world,  the  Karens,  I  believe,  are  the  most  timid  and  irreso- 
lute. And  the  fable,  that  when  some  superior  being  was  dispensing 
written  languages  and  books  to  the  various  nations  of  the  earth,  a  surly 
dog  came  along  and  drove  away  the  Karens  and  carried  away  their 
books,  agrees  better  with  their  indolent  and  timid  character,  than  halt 
the  other  fables  in  vogue  among  the  wise  and  learned  Burmans  do  with 
truth  or  common  sense.     These  artless  people  seem  contented,  and  not 


378  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

unhappy  in  their  native  forests,  treading  the  little  paths  th^ir  fathers  trod 
before  them.  It  is  surprising-  to  see  how  small  a  portion  of  worldly  goods 
satisfies  their  wants  and  limits  their  pursuits.  A  box  of  betel,  often  no 
other  than  the  joint  of  a  bamboo,  a  little  heap  of  rice,  a  bamboo  basket 
for  each  member  of  the  family  to  carry  burdens  in,  a  cup,  a  rice  and  a 
curry-pot,  a  spinning-wheel  of  most  simple  structure,  a  knife  and  an  axe, 
a  change  of  simple  garments,  a  mat  of  leaves,  half  a  dozen  water-buckets 
of  bamboo  joints,  and  a  movable  fire-place,  are  nearly  all  their  frail  houses 
contain  to  administer  to  their  comfort.  With  these  accommodations 
they  are  more  free  from  worldly  cares  than  the  owners  of  farms  and 
stalls,  and  folds,  and  games,  and  ships,  and  stores.  Their  only  worldly 
care  is  to  raise  a  little  money  to  pay  their  taxes,  under  which  they  groan. 
Although  indolent  in  the  extreme,  they  are  so  remote  from  the  city  that 
they  are,  I  believe,  less  wicked  than  most  heathen  nations.  They  have 
no  hopes  in  a  future  life,  and  generally  disdain  all  allegiance  to  the  pre- 
vailing religion  of  the  country.  They  are,  in  general,  as  careless  about 
the  future  as  about  the  present,  except  those  who  have  heard  the  Gospel, 
and  those  who  have  been  encouraged  by  the  Burmans  to  build  kyoungs 
and  pagodas,  in  the  hope  of  avoiding  in  the  next  world  the  state  of  hogs, 
and  dogs,  and  snakes,  and  worms.  They  are  too  idle  to  be  quarrelsome 
or  ambitious,  and  too  poor  to  gamble,  or  eat,  or  drink  to  very  great  ex- 
cess. Their  minds  are  vacant  and  open  for  the  reception  of  whatever 
contains  a  relish,  and  it  is  not  a  little  gratifying  to  see  so  many  of  them 
finding  that  relish  in  religion." 

The  Karens  are  peculiarly  accessible  to  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. They  are  devoid  of  the  pride  and  dogmatism  which 
characterize  the  Burmans.  Besides  they  had  a  hoary  tra- 
dition that  white  messengers  would  come  from  the  sea  to 
teach  them.  When  Mr.  Boardman  first  came  among  them, 
he  found  that  they  had  in  their  possession  a  mysterious 
book. 

"  On  returning  from  the  zayat,  I  found  my  house  thronged  with  Karens, 
and  was  informed  that  the  Karen  teacher  had  arrived  with  his  much 
venerated  book.  After  tea,  I  called  them  up,  and  inquired  what  they 
wished.  The  teacher  stood  forward  and  said,  '  My  lord,  your  humble 
servants  have  come  from  the  wilderness,  to  lay  at  your  lordship's  feet  a 
certain  book,  and  to  inquire  of  your  lordship  whether  it  is  good  or  bad, 
tme  or  false.  We,  Karens,  your  humble  servants,  are  an  ignorant  race 
of  people  ;  we  have  no  books,  no  written  language,  we  know  nothing  of 
God  or   His  law.     When  this  book  was  given  us,  we  were  charged  to 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN.  379 

worship  it,  which  we  have  done  for  twelve  years.  But  we  knew  rothing 
of  its  contents,  not  so  much  as  in  what  language  it  is  written.  W  e  have 
heard  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  are  persuaded  of  its  truth,  and 
we  wis!i  to  know  if  this  book  contains  the  doctrine  of  that  Gospel.  We 
are  persuaded  that  your  lordship  can  easily  settle  the  question,  and  teach 
us  the  true  way  of  becoming  happy.'  I  requested  them  to  produce  the 
book,  when  the  old  man  opened  a  large  basket,  and  having  removed 
fold  after  fold  of  wrappers,  he  handed  me  an  old  tattered  duodecimo 
volume.  It  was  none  other  than  the  '  Book  of  Common  Prayer  with  the 
Psalms,'  published  at  Oxford,  England.  '  It  is  a  good  book,'  said  I,  '  'out 
it  is  not  good  to  worship  it.  You  must  worship  the  God  it  reveals.'  We 
spent  the  evening  instructing  these  simple  foresters  in  some  of  the  first 
principles  of  the  Gospel.  They  listened  with  much  attention  ;  but  the 
old  teacher,  who,  it  seems,  is  a  kind  of  sorcerer,  appeared  disappointed 
at  the  thought  that  he  had  obtained  no  claim  to  heaven  by  worshipping 
the  bool<  so  many  years. 

"  September  (),  1828.  The  Karens  left  us  for  their  native  forest.  It 
was  a  source  of  regret  to  us  all,  that  Ko-thah-byoo  was  not  present  to 
facilitate  our  intercourse  by  interpreting  for  us.  Just  before  leaving,  the 
old  sorcerer  put  on  his  jogar's  dress,  given  him,  he  said,  nearly  twenty 
years  ago,  and  assumed  some  self-important  airs,  so  that  one  of  our  na- 
tive Christians  felt  it  his  duty  to  administer  a  gentle  reproof,  and  told 
him  there  was  no  good  in  wearing  such  a  dress,  and  advised  him  to  lay 
it  aside  altogether.  '  If,'  said  the  sorcerer,  '  God  will  not  be  pleased 
with  this  dress,  I  am  ready  to  send  it  afloat  on  yonder  stream.'  He 
then  presented  his  reprover  with  his  wand,  saying  he  had  no  further  use 
for  it." 

Mr,  Boardman  was  afterward  informed  that  the  teacher, 
on  his  way  home,  tore  his  jogar's  dress  to  pieces,  and  threw 
it  into  a  brook. 

While  the  Burmans  Hved  in  towns  and  cities,  the  Karens, 
like  our  Indians,  occupied  villages  far  back  in  the  jungle  by 
the  side  of  mountain  streams.  Mr.  Judson's  attention  was 
first  called  to  them  in  Rangoon.  "  They  formed  small 
parties  of  strange,  wild-looking  men,  clad  in  unshapely 
garments,  who  from  time  to  time  straggled  past  his  resi- 
dence." 

He  was  told  that  the}'  were  as  untamable  rs  the  wild  cow  of 
the  mountains ;  that  they  seldom  entered  a  town  except  on 


380  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

compulsion.    They  were  nomadic  in  their  habits.    A  British 
officer"'^  gives  a  singular  instance  of  their  wildness : 

"  An  officer  was  lying  on  his  bed  in  a  little  room  inside  the  stockaded 
police  post,  which  had  a  narrow  gate  with  an  armed  sentry  on  guard  ; 
the  Hillman,  with  the  minimum  of  clothing,  was  introduced  by  a  smart 
sergeant,  who  coaxed  him  to  approach.  He  cautiously  and  distrustfully, 
and  with  great  persuasion,  advanced  stooping  to  the  bed ;  when  close  to 
it,  he  gave  one  long,  steady  look  at  the  white  man  ;  suddenly,  with  a  yell, 
threw  himself  up  straight,  turned  round,  dashed  out  of  the  room,  through 
the  gate,  upsetting  the  armed  sentry,  rushed  across  a  little  stream  at  the 
bottom  of  the  stockade,  and,  clambering  likg  a  monkey  sheer  up  the  side 
of  the  opposite  mountain,  never  stopped  till  he  was  lost  to  sight  in  the 
forest." 

In  order  to  secure  permanent  churches  among  the  Karens, 
the  first  step  of  the  missionaries  was  to  persuade  them  to 
settle  down  in  one  place  and  form  large  and  well-ordered 
villages.  It  was  in  this  way  that  the  town  of  Wadesville, 
before  mentioned,  sprang  into  existence.  Christianity  has 
thus  proved  a  powerful  agent  in  civilizing  the  Karens,  and 
a  Christian  village  is  easily  distinguished  from  a  heathen  one, 
not  only  by  its  size,  but  by  its  clean,  regular  streets. 

That  Mr.  Judson's  tours  in  the  Karen  jungles  were  at- 
tended with  great  fatigue  and  danger,  may  be  inferred  from 
Mr.  Boardman's  "  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Karens": 

"The  paths  which  lead  to  their  settlements  are  so  obscurely  marked, 
so  little  trodden,  and  so  devious  in  their  course,  that  a  guide  is  needed  to 
conduct  one  from  village  to  village,  even  over  the  best  part  of  the  way. 
Not  unfrequently  the  path  leads  over  precipices,  over  cliffs  and  dangerous 
declivities,  along  deep  ravines,  frequently  meandering  with  a  small  stream- 
let for  miles,  which  we  have  to  cross  and  recross,  and  often  to  take  it  for 
our  path,  wading  through  water  ankle  deep  for  an  hour  or  more.  There 
are  no  bridges,  and  we  often  have  to  ford  or  swim  over  considerable 
streams,  particularly  in  the  rainy  season  ;  when,  however,  the  difficulties 
of  travelling  are  so  great  as  to  render  it  next  to  impossible.  Sometimes 
we  have  to  sleep  in  the  open  air  in  the  woods,  where,  besides  insects  and 
reptiles,  the  tiger,  the  rhinoceros,  and  the  wild  elephant  render  our  situ- 
ation not  a  little  uncomfortable  and  dangerous.     I  have  never  met  with 


*  Forbes,  in  his  "  British  Burmah." 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN.  38 1 

either  of  these  dangerous  animals  in  the  wilderness,  but  have  verj' fre- 
quently seen  their  recent  footsteps  and  their  haunts,  while  others  meet 
them.  It  is  but  seldom  they  do  hurt,  but  it  is  in  their  power,  and  some 
times  they  have  the  disposition.  And  when,  after  having-  encountereri 
so  many  difficulties,  and  endured  not  a  little  fatigue  in  travelling,  and 
been  exposed  to  so  many  dangers,  we  come  to  a  village,  we  find,  per 
haps,  but  twenty  or  thirty  houses,  often  only  ten,  and  not  unfrequently 
only  one  or  two  within  a  range  of  several  miles." 

On  these  jungle  trips  he  was  always  accompanied  by  a 
band  of  associates.  He  would  take  with  him  eight  or  ten 
disciples  and  dispatch  them  right  and  left  up  the  tributaries 
of  the  Salwen.  Two  by  two  they  would  penetrate  the  wilder- 
ness, and  meeting  their  teacher  a  few  days  later,  would  re- 
port to  him  the  results  of  their  labor.  The  Oriental,  under 
good  leadership,  makes  a  faithful  and  intrepid  follower. 
And  Mr.  Judson's  magnetism  of  character  held  his  assistants 
to  him  with  hooks  of  steel.  He  had  the  gift  of  getting 
work,  and  their  best  work,  out  of  the  converted  natives. 
Promising  boys  and  young  men  he  took  under  his  own  in- 
struction and  qualified  them  to  become  teachers  and  minis- 
ters. His  wise  and  far-reaching  views  on  this  primitive  and 
indispensable  kind  of  ministerial  education  may  be  learned 
from  his  letters  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary.  His  ex- 
ample might  profitably  be  followed  by  ministers  even  in  our 
own  Christian  land  : 

"  Maulmain,  January  3,  1835. 

.  .  .  .  "  My  ideas  of  a  seminary  are  very  different  from 
those  of  many  persons.  I  am  really  unwilling  to  place  young 
men,  that  have  just  begun  to  love  the  Saviour,  under  teachers 
who  will  strive  to  carry  them  through  a  long  course  of  study, 
until  they  are  able  to  unravel  metaphysics,  and  calculate 
eclipses,  and  their  souls  become  as  dry  as  the  one  and  as  dark 
as  the  other.  I  have  known  several  promising  young  men 
completely  ruined  by  this  process.  Nor  is  it  called  for  in  the 
present  state  of  the  Church  in  Burmah.  I  want  to  see  our 
young  disciples  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  Bible  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  with  geography  and  history,  so  far  as 


382  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

necessar)'  to  understand  the  Scriptures,  and  to  furnish  them 
with  enlarged,  enlightened  minds.  I  would  also  have  them 
carried  through  a  course  of  systematic  theology,  on  the  plan, 
perhaps,  of  Dwight's.  And  I  would  have  them  well  instruct- 
ed in  the  art  of  communicating  their  ideas  intelligibly  and 
acceptably  by  word  and  by  writitig.  So  great  is  my  desire  to 
see  such  a  system  in  operation,  that  I  am  strongly  tempted, 
as  nobody  else  is  able  to  do  anything  just  now,  to  make  a 
beginning ;  and  perhaps  after  brother  Wade,  who  is  excel- 
lently well  capacitated  for  this  department,  has  settled  the 
Karen  language  with  brother  Mason,  he  will  carry  on  what 
I  shall  begin,  having  both  Karen  and  Burmese  students 
under  his  care."  .... 

"  Maulmain,  April  7,  1835. 
"  As  to  the  subject  of  schools,  and  the  preparation  of  young 
men  for  the  ministry,  my  views  are  the  same  with  those  you 
have  expressed.  But  I  doubt  the  practicability  of  a  '  semi- 
nary '  all  of  a  sudden.  In  looking  at  the  subject  in  its  various 
bearings  for  a  considerable  time,  I  see  but  one  way ;  and  I 
would  respectfully  propose  that  instructions  be  issued  to 
every  missionary,  at  every  station,  to  collect  around  him  a 
few  boys  and  young  men  who  may  appear  promising,  and 
give  them  such  instruction  as  may  be  consistent  with  his 
other  duties  ;  with  a  view  of  obtaining,  in  the  course  of  a 
year  or  two,  a  contribution  from  each  station  of  at  least  two 
or  three  students,  who  shall  be  sent  to  Maulmain,  or  Tavoy, 
or  some  other  station,  and  thus  gradually  form  a  seminary, 
which  shall  continue  to  be  sustained  by  supplies  from  the 
several  stations,  in  the  same  way  it  was  commenced." 

He  had  a  characteristic  way  of  paying  his  assistants,,  a? 
may  be  learned  from  a  letter  of  advice  which  he  sends  to 
Mr.  Mason,  who  had  just  taken  Mr.  Boardman's  place  at 
Tavoy  : 

"  But  I  can  assure  you,  from  long  experience,  that  you  can 
seldom,  if  ever,  satisfy  Burmans,  Talings,  or  Karens,  by  giv- 
ing them  stated,  specified,  known  wages.  However  much  it 
be,  they  will  soon  be  murmuring  for  '  more  'bacco,'  like  their 


LIFE  IX  MAULMAIiV.  383 

betters.  Few  of  the  natives  that  I  pay  know  how  much  they 
get.  No  word  on  the  subject  ever  passes  between  me  and 
them.  I  contrive,  at  unequal  intervals,  to  pop  a  paper  of  ru- 
pees— five,  ten,  or  fifteen — into  their  hands,  in  the  most 
arbitrary  way,  and  without  saying  a  word.  But  I  take  ac- 
curate note  of  every  payment,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year,  or 
of  the  period  for  which  they  are  employed,  I  manage  to  have 
paid  them  such  a  sum  as  amounts  to  so  much  per  month,  the' 
rate  agreed  upon  with  my  brethren.  This  plan  occasions  less 
trouble  than  one  is  apt  to  think  at  first ;  at  any  rate,  not  so 
much  trouble  as  to  be  in  hot  water  all  the  time  about  their 
wages'  However,  I  only  show  you  my  anvil.  Hammer 
your  tools  on  it,  or  on  another  of  your  own  invention,  as  you 
like." 

The  following  extracts  from  Mr.  Judson's  journal  de- 
scribe his  life  in  the  jungle.  They  relate  to  his  second  tour 
among  the  Karens : 

"  Wadesville,  January  i,  1S32. 

"  We  set  out  from  Maulmain,  as  purposed  in  my  last,  and 
leaving  the  Salwen  on  the  west,  and  the  Ataran  on  the  east, 
we  followed  the  Gyne  and  the  Dah-gyne,  as  it  is  termed 
above  its  confluence  with  the  Houng-ta-rau,  whicJi  falls  in 
from  the  east,  and  in  three  days  reached  this  place,  the  dis- 
tance being,  by  conjecture,  above  eighty  miles.  Accounts, 
on  first  arriving,  are  rather  unfavorable. 

"January  11.  Continued  to  work  our  way  up  the  river, 
frequently  impeded  by  the  trees  which  had  fallen  across  the 
water,  and  through  which  we  were  obliged  to  cut  a  passage 
for  the  boat.  At  night,  came  to  a  small  cluster  of  houses, 
where  we  found  an  elderly  woman,  who  with  her  daughter 
formerly  applied  for  baptism,  but  was  advised  to  wait.  She 
now  received  us  joyfully,  and  united  with  her  daughter  and 
son-in-law  in  begging  earnestly  that  their  baptism  might  be 
no  longer  delayed.  I  directed  them  to  meet  me  at  Kwan- 
bee,  about  a  mile  distant,  where  I  formerly  baptized  nine 
disciples,  most  of  them  from  Tee-pah's  village,  a  few  miles  to 
'he  west. 


384  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAAI  JUDSON. 

^^ January  12.  Proceeded  to  Kwan-bee.  A  few  people  came 
together  on  the  beach  to  stare  at  us,  and  we  had  a  little 
meeting  for  worship  before  breakfast.  We  then  proceeded 
to  investigate  the  case  of  Loo-boo,  who  was  reported  to  have 
joined,  when  his  child  was  extremely  ill,  in  making  an  offer- 
ing to  a  nat  (demon)  for  its  recovery.  We  at  first  thought 
of  suspending  him  from  the  fellowship  of  the  church  ;  but 
he  made  such  acknowledgments  and  promises  that  we  finally 
forgave  him,  and  united  in  praying  that  God  would  forgive 
him.  We  do  not  hear  of  any  other  case  of  transgression  ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  in  two  instances  of  extreme  illness,  the 
disciples  resisted  all  the  importunities  of  their  friends  to  join 
in  the  usual  offerings  to  propitiate  the  demons  who  are  sup- 
posed to  rule  over  diseases.  In  one  instance,  the  illness 
terminated  in  death  ;  and  I  have  to  lament  the  loss  of  Pan- 
mlai-mlo,  who  was  the  leader  of  the  little  church  in  this 
quarter,  and  the  first  of  these  northern  Karens  who,  we  hope, 
has  arrived  safe  in  heaven.  I  ought,  perhaps,  to  except  the 
case  of  a  man  and  wife  near  the  head  of  the  Patah  River, 
who,  though  not  baptized,  and  7iever  seen  by  atiy  foreign  mis- 
sionary, both  died  in  the  faith  ;  the  man  enjoining  it  on  his 
surviving  friends  to  have  the  'View  of  the  Christian  Religion ' 
laid  on  his  breast  and  buried  with  him. 

"  Some  of  the  disciples  have  gone  to  Tee-pah's  village  to 
announce  my  arrival  ;  and  while  others  are  putting  up  a 
small  shed  on  the  bank,  I  sit  in  the  boat  and  pen  these 
notices. 

"  In  the  evening,  held  a  meeting  in  the  shed,  at  which 
several  of  the  villagers  were  present. 

"January  13.  M)^  people  returned  from  Tee-pah's  village, 
bringing  with  them  several  disciples,  and  one  woman,  the 
wife  of  Loo-boo,  who  presented  herself  for  baptism,  with 
twelve  strings  of  all  manner  of  beads  around  her  neck,  and 
a  due  proportion  of  ear,  arm,  and  leg  ornaments  !  and, 
strange  to  say,  she  was  examined  and  approved,  without  one 
remark  on  the  subject  of  her  dress.  The  truth  is,  we  quite 
forgot  it,  being  occupied  and  delighted  with  her  uncommonly 
prompt  and  intelligent  replies.     In  the  afternoon,  sent  the 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN.  385 

boat  back  to  Maulmain,  with  directions  to  proceed  up  the 
Salwen,  having  concluded  to  cross  thither  by  land.  In  the 
evening,  had  a  pretty  full  shed  ;  but  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place  do  not  appear  very  favorably  inclined. 

^^ January  14.  The  three  persons  mentioned  on  the  nth 
presented  themselves,  with  the  decorated  lady  of  yesterday. 
Being  formerly  prevented  by  illness  from  animadverting  on 
female  dress  in  this  district,  as  I  did  in  the  Dah-gyne,  I  took 
an  opportunity  of  '  holding  forth '  on  that  subject  before 
breakfast  ;  and  it  was  truly  amusing  and  gratifying  to  see 
the  said  lady,  and  another  applicant  for  baptism,  and  a 
Christian  woman  who  accompanied  them,  divest  themselves 
on  the  spot  of  every  article  that  could  be  deemed  merely 
ornamental  ;  and  this  they  did  with  evident  pleasure,  and 
good  resolution  to  persevere  in  adherence  to  the  plain  dress 
system.  We  then  held  a  church-meeting,  and  having  bap- 
tized the  four  applicants,  crossed  the  Leing-bwai  on  a  bridge 
of  logs,  and  set  out  for  Tee-pah's  village,  accompanied  by  a 
long  train  of  men,  women,  children,  and  dogs.  Toward 
night  we  arrived  at  that  place,  and  effected  a  lodgment  in 
Tee-pah's  house.  In  the  evening,  had  a  pretty  full  assembly. 
"Ja?iuary  15.  Lord's  day.  In  the  forenoon  I  held  a  meet- 
ing for  the  disciples  only,  and,  as  I  seldom  see  them,  endeav- 
ored to  tell  them  all  I  knew.  Had  more  or  less  company 
through  the  day.  In  the  evening,  a  crowded  house.  Tee 
pah's  father,  a  venerable  old  man,  came  forward,  and  wit- 
nessed a  good  confession.  Some  others,  also,  begin  to  give 
evidence  that  they  have  received  the  truth  into  good  and 
honest  hearts. 

"January  16.  In  the  morning  Tee-pah's  mother  joined  the 
party  of  applicants  for  baptism,  and  her  younger  daughter- 
in-law,  whose  husband  was  formerly  baptized.  But  Tee-pah 
himself,  though  convinced  of  the  truth,  and  giving  some 
evidence  of  grace,  can  not  resolve  at  once  on  entire  absti- 
nence from  rum,  though  he  has  never  been  in  the  habit  of  in- 
toxication. In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  we  held  a  church- 
meeting,  and  unanimously  received  and  baptized  eight  indi- 
viduals from  this  and  a  small  village  two  miles  distant. 


386  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  Took  an  affectionate  leave  of  the  people,  and  prosecuted 
our  journey  toward  the  Salwen.  Came  to  Zat-kyee's  small 
village,  where  one  man  and  his  wife  embraced  the  truth  at 
first  hearing ;  and  the  man  said,  that  as  there  was  no  suit- 
able place  for  baptizing  at  that  village,  he  would  follow  on, 
until  he  could  say,  '  See,  here  is  water,'  etc.  I  gave  him 
leave  to  follow,  not  with  that  view,  but  to  listen  further  to 
the  blessed  Gospel.  At  night,  reached  Shway-bau's  village, 
wiiere  they  afforded  us  a  shelter  rather  reluctantly.  In  the 
evening,  however,  had  an  interesting,  though  small  as- 
sembly. 

'■'■January  17.  Pursued  our  way,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of 
the  Salwen,  the  boundary  between  the  British  and  Burmese 
territories.  Arrived  at  Poo-ah's  small  village,  consisting  of 
three  houses,  not  one  of  which  had  a  leaf  of  covering.  No 
one  welcomed  our  arrival,  so  we  sat  down  on  the  ground. 
Presently  the  preaching  of  one  of  the  Karen  disciples  so 
wrought  upon  one  of  the  householders,  a  Burman  with  a 
Karen  wife,  that  he  invited  me  to  sit  on  his  floor  ;  and  my 
people  spread  a  mat  overhead,  which,  with  my  umbrella, 
made  me  quite  at  home.  .  The  householder,  in  the  interval 
of  his  work,  and  one  of  the  neighbors,  began  to  listen,  and 
were  present  at  evening  worship. 

^''  [anuary  18.  Shway-hlah,  the  man  who  followed  us  from 
the  village  day  before  yesterday,  appearing  to  be  sincere  in  ~ 
his  desire  to  profess  the  Christian  religion,  we  held  a  meet- 
ing, though  four  disciples  only  could  be  present ;  and  on 
balloting  for  his  reception,  there  was  one  dissentient  vote, 
so  that  I  advised  him  to  wait  longer.  He  appeared  to  be 
much  disappointed  and  grieved  ;  said  that  he  should  per- 
haps not  live  to  see  me  again,  and  have  an  opportunity  of 
being  initiated  into  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  after 
a  while  the  two  Karen  disciples  insisting  that  he  should  be 
re-examined,  we  gave  him  a  second  trial,  when,  on  cross-ques- 
tioning him  in  the  Burman  language,  which  he  understood 
pretty  well  (for  we  began  to  suspect  the  Karen  interpreters 
of  being  a  little  partial  to  their  countrymen),  some  circum- 
stances   leaked    out  which    turned    the    scale  in    his   favor 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  387 

and  he  gained  a  clear  vote.  After  his  baptism,  he  went  on 
his  way  rejoicing,  resolving  to  tell  all  his  neighbors  what 
'great  things  the  Lord  had  done  for  him.'  At  morning  wor- 
ship, our  host  and  the  neighbor  mentioned  above,  appeared 
to  be  very  near  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  the  other  people 
of  this  village  decidedly  reject  the  Gospel. 

^^ January  24.  Set  out  for  Bau-nah's  village,  two  days' 
journey  ;  but  after  travelling  an  hour  over  dreadful  mount- 
ains and  in  the  bed  of  a  rivulet,  where  the  water  was  some- 
times knee-deep,  and  full  of  sharp,  slippery  rocks,  when  my 
bare  feet,  unaccustomed  to  such  usage,  soon  became  so  sore 
that  I  could  hardly  step  ;  and  having  ascertained  that  such 
was  the  only  road  for  many  miles,  I  felt  that  I  had  done  all 
that  lay  in  my  power  toward  carrying  the  Gospel  farther  in 
this  direction,  and  therefore  relinquished  the  attempt,  and 
reluctantly  returned  to  Chanbau's  village.  Not  so  many 
present  at  evening  worship  as  yesterday.  The  seed  sown 
here  appears,  in  some  instances,  to  have  fallen  on  good 
ground  ;  but  our  short  stay  deprives  us  of  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  fruit  brought  to  perfection. 

^^ January  27.  This  little  village  may  be  said  to  have  em 
braced  the  Gospel.  At  one  time  we  had  eight  applicants  for 
baptism  ;  but  two  only  were  finally  received,  Ko  Shway  and 
his  wife  Nah  Nyah-ban.  They  both  understood  the  Burmese 
language  pretty  well  ;  and  the  woman  possesses  the  best  in- 
tellect, as  well  as  the  strongest  faith,  that  I  have  found  among 
this  people.  I  invited  them,  though  rather  advanced  in  life, 
to  come  to  Maulmain,  and  learn  to  read,  promising  to  sup- 
port them  a  few  months  ;  and  they  concluded  to  accept  the 
invitation  next  rainy  season.  They  followed  us  all  the  way 
to  the  boat,  and  the  woman  stood  looking  after  us  until  we 
were  out  of  sight. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  arrived  again  at  the  Yen-being  River, 
and  sent  some  of  my  people  to  a  neighboring  village  two 
miles  distant.  The  villagers  listened  a  while,  and  then  sent 
a  respectful  message,  saying  that  they  believed  the  religion 
of  Jesus  Christ,  that  it  was  most  excellent,  etc.,  but  begged 
that  the  teacher  would  go  about  his  business,  and  not  come 
to  disturb  them. 


3SS  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSO::. 

^^ January  30.  In  the  morning,  held  a  church  mcetirg  by 
the  river-side,  and  received  the  last  two  applicants.  The 
chief  of  the  village,  Yet-dau's  father,  and  several  other  per- 
sons, are  very  favorably  impressed.  Not  a  word  of  opposi- 
tion to  be  heard.  Took  an  affectionate  leave  of  this  little 
church,  now  consisting  of  six  members,  and  went  down  the 
river  on  the  west  side  of  Kanlong  Island,  having  come  up  on 
the  east  side  from  Poo-ah's  village.  Entered  the  Mai-zeen 
rivulet,  in  Burmese  territory,  and  landed  at  Thah-pe-nike's 
village,  where  we  spent  the  day.  In  the  evening  had  a  noisy 
assembly.  Some  professed  to  believe,  but  pleaded  the  fear 
of  Government  as  an  excuse  for  not  prosecuting  their  in- 
quiries. One  young  man,  Kah-lah  by  name,  drank  in  the 
truth,  and  promised  to  come  to  Maulmain  as  soon  as  he  could 
get  free  from  some  present  engagements. 

'■^January  31.  Continued  our  course  down  the  river,  and 
landed  on  the  west  side,  at  Ti-yah-ban's  village.  The  chief 
is  said  to  be  very  much  in  favor  of  the  Christian  religion, 
but,  unfortunately,  had  gone  up  the  river,  and  his  people  did 
not  dare  to  think  in  his  absence.  In  the  afternoon  came  to 
the  'upper  village,'  the  first  we  found  on  Kanlong.  They 
listened  well,  but,  about  sunset,  took  a  sudden  turn,  and 
would  give  us  no  further  hearing.  We  removed,  therefore, 
to  Yai-thah-kau's  village.  Some  of  my  people  went  ashore. 
The  chief  was  absent,  and  the  principal  remaining  personage, 
a  Buddhist  Karen,  said  that  when  the  English  Government 
enforced  their  religion  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  and  he  had 
seen  two  or  three  suffer  death  for  not  embracing  it,  he  would 
begin  to  consider,  and  not  before  ;  that,  however,  if  the 
teacher  desired  to  come  to  the  village,  he  could  not  be  inhos- 
pitable, but  would  let  him  come.  I  sent  back  word  that  I 
would  not  come,  but,  as  he  loved  falsehood  and  darkness,  I 
would  leave  him  to  live  therein  all  his  days,  and  finally  go 
the  dark  way  ;  and  all  my  people  drew  off  to  the  boat.  While 
we  were  deliberating  what  to  do,  something  touched  the  old 
man's  heart ;  we  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  advancing  in 
the  dark,  and  presently  a  voice.  '  My  lord,  please  to  come 
to  the  village.'     '  Don't  call  me  lord.     I  am  no  lord,  nor  r'„_r 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  3S9 

of  this  world.'  '  What  must  I  call  you  ?  Teacher,  I  suppose.' 
'  Yes,  but  not  your  teacher,  for  you  love  to  be  taught  false- 
hood, not  truth.'  '  Teacher,  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  against 
this  religion,  and  how  can  I  know  at  once  what  is  right  and 
what  is  wrong?  Please  to  come  and  let  me  listen  attentively 
to  your  words.'  I  replied  not,  but  rose  and  followed  the  old 
man.  He  took  me  to  his  house,  spread  a  cloth  for  me  to  sit 
on,  manifested  great  respect,  and  listened  with  uncommon 
attention.  When  I  prepared  to  go,  he  said,  '  But  you  will 
not  go  before  we  have  performed  an  act  of  worship  and 
prayer?'  We  accordingly  knelt  down,  and,  during  prayer, 
the  old  man  could  not  help,  now  and  then,  repeating  the 
close  of  a  sentence  with  emphasis,  seeming  to  imply  that,  in 
his  mind,  I  had  not  quite  done  it  justice.  After  I  was  gone, 
he  said  that  it  was  a  great  thing  to  change  one's  religion  ; 
that  he  stood  quite  alone  in  these  parts  ;  but  that,  if  some  of 
his  acquaintance  would  join  him,  he  would  not  be  behind. 

''''February  2.  Went  round  the  northern  extremity  of  Kan 
long,  and  up  the  eastern  channel,  to  Poo-ah's  village,  where 
we  found  the  two  disciples  whom  we  sent  away  on  the  21st 
ultimo.  They  have  met  with  a  few  hopeful  inquirers.  Some 
who  live  near  are  expected  here  to-morrow.  In  the  mean- 
time, went  down  the  river  a  few  miles,  to  Poo-door's  village. 
My  people  preceded  me,  as  usual,  and  about  noon  I  followed 
them.  But  I  found  that  the  village  was  inhabited  chiefly  by 
Buddhist  Karens,  and,  of  course,  met  with  a  poor  reception. 
After  showing  myself  and  trying  to  conciliate  the  children 
and  dogs,  who  cried  and  barked  in  concert,  I  left  word  that, 
if  any  wished  to  hear  me  preach,  I  would  come  again  in  the 
evening,  and  then  relieved  the  people  of  my  presence,  and 
retreated  to  the  boat.  At  night  the  disciples  returned,  with- 
out any  encouragement.  One  of  them,  however,  accidentally 
met  the  chief,  who  said  that  if  I  came  he  would  not  refuse  to 
hear  what  I  had  to  say.  On  this  half  invitation  I  set  out, 
about  sunset,  and  never  met  with  worse  treatment  at  a  Karen 
village.  The  chief  would  not  even  invite  us  into  his  house,  but 
sent  us  off  to  an  old  deserted  place,  where  the  floor  was  too 
frail  to  support  us  ;  so  we  sat  down  on  the  ground.     He  then 


390  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

invited  us  nearer,  and  sat  down  before  us,  with  a  few  confi- 
dential friends.  He  had  evidently  forbidden  all  his  people 
to  approach  us,  otherwise  some  would  have  come,  out  of 
curiosity.  And  what  a  hard,  suspicious  face  did  he  exhibit  ! 
And  how  we  had  to  coax  him  to  join  us  in  a  little  regular 
worship  !  It  was  at  least  an  hour  before  he  would  consent 
at  all.  But  in  the  course  of  worship  his  features  softened, 
and  his  mind  'crossed  over,'  as  he  expressed  it,  to  our  relig- 
ion ;  and  I  returned  to  the  boat  inclined  to  believe  that  all 
things  are  possible  with  God. 

^'February  3.  Some  of  my  people  who  slept  at  the  village 
returned  with  the  report  that  the  place  is  divided  against 
itself.  Some  are  for. and  some  against  us.  The  opposition 
is  rather  violent.  One  man  threatens  to  turn  his  aged  father 
out  of  doors  if  he  embraces  the  Christian  religion.  Perhaps 
this  is  not  to  be  regretted.  Satan  never  frets  without  cause. 
Turned  the  boat's  head  again  to  the  north,  and  retraced  our 
way  to  Poo-ah's  village,  where  we  spent  the  rest  of  the  day. 
But  the  two  hopeful  inquirers  that  1  left  here  on  the  29th 
have  made  no  advance. 

'■'■  Febrtiary  <^.  Visited  Wen-gyan,  Pah-len,  and  Zong-ing, 
Taling  villages,  where  we  found  a  few  Karens.  At  the  latter 
place,  collected  a  small  assembly  for  evening  worship.  A 
few  professed  to  believe  ;  others  were  violent  in  opposing. 

^''February  10.  Visited  several  Taling  villages  in  succes- 
sion. In  the  afternoon,  reached  the  confluence  of  the  Salwen 
and  the  Gyne,  upon  which  we  turned  into  the  latter,  and 
went  up  to  Taranah,  where  Ko  Shan  resides,  as  mentioned 
December  29.  The  inhabitants  of  this  place,  like  the  Talings 
in  general,  are  inveterately  opposed  to  the  Gospel,  and  Ko 
Shan  has  had  very  little  success.  Two  or  three  individuals, 
however,  appear  to  be  favorably  impressed  ;  but  the  oppo- 
sition is  so  strong  that  no  one  dares  to  come  forward. 

^^  February  11.  Left  Ko  Shan,  with  the  promise  of  sending 
him  aid  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in  the  afternoon  reached 
Maulmain,  after  an  absence  of  six  weeks,  during  which  I 
have  baptized  twenty-five,  and  registered  about  the  same 
number  of  hopeful  inquirers.     I  find  that  brother  and  sister 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIiV. 


391 


Jones  have  arrived  from  Rangoon,  brother  Kincaid  having 
concluded  to  take  their  place." 

But  this  second  tour  among  the  Karens  was  soon  followed 
by  a  third,  of  which  a  brief  account  is  given  in  Mr.  Judson's 
words : 

^^  February  29,  1832.  Left  Maulmain  for  the  Karen  villages 
on  the  Salwen,  accompanied  by  Ko  Myat-kyau,  who  speaks 
Karen,  three  other  Taling  disciples,  and  the  two  Karen  as- 
sistants, Panlah  and  Chet-thing.  The  other  Karen  assistant, 
Tau-nah,  I  expect  to  meet  at  Chummerah,  according  to  the 
arrangement  of  February  4.  At  night,  reached  Tong-eing, 
and  found  that  the  few  Karens  near  the  place  had  concluded 
to  reject  the  Gospel. 

" Afarch  i.  Touched  at  the  village  above  Nengyan,  and 
found  that  the  inhabitants  have  come  to  the  same  conclusion, 
'till  the  next  rainy  season.'  Passed  by  all  the  Taling  towns, 
and  touched  at  the  village  below  Rajah's,  where  we  found 
that  the  people  still  adhere  to  the  new  Karen  prophet,  Aree- 
maday.  Moung  Zuthee  unfortunately  encountered  a  very 
respectable  Burman  priest,  with  a  train  of  novices,  who,  not 
relishing  his  doctrine,  fell  upon  him,  and  gave  him  a  sound 
beating.  The  poor  man  fled  to  me  in  great  dismay,  and,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  some  wrath,  begging  leave  to  assemble  our 
forces  and  seize  the  aggressor,  for  the  purpose  of  delivering 
him  up  to  justice.  I  did  assemble  them  ;  and,  all  kneeling 
down,  I  praised  God  that  He  had  counted  one  of  our  number 
worthy  to  suffer  a  little  for  His  Son's  sake  ;  and  prayed  that 
He  would  give  us  a  spirit  of  forgiveness,  and  our  persecutors 
every  blessing,  temporal  and  spiritual  ;  after  which  we  left 
the  field  of  battle  with  cool  and  happy  minds.  Reached 
Rajah's  late  at  night.  He  remains  firm,  though  not  followed 
by  any  of  his  people.  His  wife,  however,  and  eldest  daugh- 
ter, after  evening  worship,  declared  themselves  on  the  side 
of  Christ. 

^^  March  2.  Spent  the  forenoon  in  instructing  and  examin- 
ing the  wife  and  daughter.  The  former  we  approved,  but 
rejected  the  latter,  as  not  yet  established  in  the  Christian 


392  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

faith.  After  the  baptism,  Rajah  and  his  wife  united  in  pre- 
senting their  younger  children,  that  I  might  lay  my  hands  on 
them  and  bless  them.  The  elder  children,  being  capable  of 
discerning  good  from  evil,  came  of  their  own  accord,  and 
held  up  their  folded  hands  in  the  act  of  homage  to  their 
parents'  God,  while  we  offered  a  prayer  that  they  might  ob- 
tain grace  to  become  true  disciples,  and  receive  the  holy 
ordinance  of  baptism.  At  noon,  left  this  interesting  family, 
and  proceeded  up  the  river,  stopping  occasionally,  and 
preaching  wherever  we  could  catch  a  listening  ear.  Entered 
the  Mai-san,  and  landed  at  the  village  above  Rai-ngai's, 
which  Ko  Myat-kyau  has  formerly  visited.  In  the  evening, 
had  two  very  attentive  hearers. 

"  March  3.  The  two  attentive  hearers  were  up  nearly  all 
night,  drinking  in  the  truth.  One  of  them  became  urgent 
for  baptism  ;  and  on  hearing  his  present  and  past  experience, 
from  the  time  he  first  listened  to  the  Gospel,  we  concluded 
to  receive  him  into  the  fellowship  of  the  church.  His  wife 
is  very  favorably  disposed,  but  not  so  far  advanced  in  knowl- 
edge and  faith.  Returned  to  the  Salwen,  and  made  a  long 
pull  for  Poo-door's  village  ;  but  late  in  the  evening,  being 
still  at  a  considerable  distance,  were  obliged  to  coil  ourselves 
up  in  our  small  boat,  there  being  no  house  in  these  parts,  and 
the  country  swarming  with  tigers  at  this  season,  so  that  none 
of  us  ventured  to  sleep  on  shore. 

^^  March  4.  Lord's  day.  Uncoiled  ourselves  with  the  first 
dawn  of  light,  and  soon  after  sunrise  took  possession  of  a 
fine  flat  log,  in  the  middle  of  Poo-door's  village,  a  mile  from 
the  river,  where  we  held  forth  on  the  duty  of  refraining  from 
work  on  this  the  Lord's  day,  and  attending  divine  worship. 
Some  listened  to  our  words  ;  and  in  the  forenoon  we  suc- 
ceeded in  collecting  a  small  assembly.  After  worship,  the 
old  man  mentioned  formerly,  whose  son  threatened  to  turn 
him  out  of  doors,  came  forward,  with  his  wife  ;  and  having 
both  witnessed  a  good  confession,  we  received  them  into  our 
fellowship.  Poo-door  himself  absent  on  a  journey  ;  but  his 
wife  ready  to  become  a  Christian. 

"  March  10.    Went  on  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yen-being,  and  as 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


393 


far  as  the  great  log,  which  prevents  a  boat  from  proceeding 
farther.  Providentially  met  with  Wah-hai,  of  whom  I  have 
heard  a  good  report  for  some  time.  He  was  happy  to  see  us 
and  we  were  happy  to  examine  and  baptize  him.  We  then 
visited  the  village,  whence  they  formerly  sent  a  respectful 
message,  desiring  us  to  go  about  our  business,  and  found 
some  attentive  listeners. 

^^  March  ii.  Lord's  day.  Again  -took  the  main  river,  and 
soon  fell  in  with  a  boat,  containing  several  of  the  listeners  of 
yesterday,  among  whom  was  one  man  who  declared  his  reso- 
lution to  enter  the  new  religion.  We  had  scarcely  parted 
with  this  boat  when  we  met  another,  full  of  men,  coming 
down  the  stream  ;  and,  on  hailing  to  know  whether  they 
wished  to  hear  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  an 
elderly  man,  the  chief  of  the  party,  replied  that  he  had 
already  heard  much  of  the  Gospel,  and  there  was  nothing  he 
desired  more  than  to  have  a  meeting  with  the  teacher.  Our 
boats  were  soon  side  by  side,  where,  after  a  short  engage- 
ment, the  old  man  struck  his  colors,  and  begged  us  to  take 
him  into  port,  where  he  could  make  a  proper  surrender  of 
himself  to  Christ.  We  accordingly  went  to  the  shore,  and 
spent  several  hours  very  delightfully,  under  the  shade  of  the 
overhanging  trees,  and  the  banner  of  the  love  of  Jesus.  The 
old  man's  experience  was  so  clear,  and  his  desire  for  baptism 
so  strong,  that,  though  circumstances  prevented  our  gaining 
so  much  testimony  of  his  good  conduct  since  believing  as  we 
usually  require,  we  felt  that  it  would  be  wrong  to  refuse  his 
request.  A  lad  in  his  company,  the  person  mentioned  Janu- 
ary 30,  desired  also  to  be  baptized.  But,  though  he  had  been 
a  preacher  to  the  old  man,  his  experience  was  not  so  decided 
and  satisfactory  ;  so  that  we  rejected  him  for  the  present. 
The  old  man  went  on  his  way,  rejoicing  aloud,  and  declaring 
his  resolution  to  make  known  the  eternal  God  and  the  dying 
love  of  Jesus,  all  along  the  banks  of  the  Yoon-za-len,  his 
native  stream. 

"  The  dying  words  of  an  aged  man  of  God,  when  he  waved 
his  withered,  death-struck  arm,  and  exclaimed,  ^The  best  of 
all  is,  God  is  with  us,'  I  feel  in  my  very  soul.     Yes,  the  great 


394  T^E  L^P^  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Invisible  is  in  these  Karen  wilds.  That  mighty  Being  who 
heaped  up  these  craggy  rocks,  and  reared  these  stupendous 
mountains,  and  poured  out  these  streams  in  all  directions, 
and  scattered  immortal  beings  throughout  these  deserts — He 
is  present  by  the  influence  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  and  accompa- 
nies the  sound  of  the  Gospel  with  converting,  sanctifying 
power.     '  The  best  of  all  is,  God  is  with  us.' 

"  '  In  t/tese  deserts  let  me  labor, 
On  lAese  mountains  let  me  tell 
How  he  died — the  blessed  Saviour, 
To  redeem  a  world  from  hell.' 

" Mare/i  12.  Alas!  how  soon  is  our  joy  turned  into 
mourning !  Mah  Nyah-ban,  of  whom  we  all  had  such  a 
high  opinion,  joined  her  husband,  not  many  days  after  their 
baptism,  in  making  an  offering  to  the  demon  of  diseases,  on 
account  of  the  sudden,  alarming  illness  of  their  youngest 
child  ;  and  they  have  remained  ever  since  in  an  impenitent, 
prayerless  state  !  They  now  refuse  to  listen  to  our  exhorta- 
tion, and  appear  to  be  given  over  to  hardness  of  heart  and 
blindness  of  mind.  I  was  therefore  obliged,  this  morning, 
to  pronounce  the  sentence  of  suspension,  and  leave  them  to 
the  mercy  and  judgment  of  God.  Their  case  is  greatly  to 
be  deplored.  They  are  quite  alone  in  this  quarter,  have  seen 
no  disciples  since  we  left  them,  and  are  surrounded  with  ene- 
mies, some  from  Maulmain,  who  have  told  them  all  manner 
of  lies,  and  used  every  effort  to  procure  and  perpetuate  their 
apostasy.  When  I  consider  the  evidence  of  grace  which  they 
formerly  gave,  together  with  all  the  palliating  circumstances 
of  the  case,  I  have  much  remaining  hope  that  they  will  yet 
be  brought  to  repentance.  I  commend  them  to  the  prayers 
of  the  faithful,  and  the  notice  of  any  missionary  who  may 
travel  that  way.  In  consequence  of  the  advantage  which 
Satan  has  gained  in  this  village,  the  six  hopeful  inquirers 
whom  we  left  here  have  all  fallen  off,  so  that  we  are  obliged 
to  retire  with  the  dispirited  feelings  of  beaten  troops. 

"  I  respectfully  request  and  sincerely  hope  that  this  article 
may  be  neither  suppressed  nor  polished.     The  principle  of 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


395 


'double  selection,'  as  it  is  termed,  that  is,  one  selection  by 
the  missionary  and  another  by  the  publishing  committee,  has 
done  great  m-ischief,  and  contributed  more  to  impair  the 
credit  of  missionary  accounts  than  anything  else.  We  in  the 
East,  knowing  how  extensively  this  principle  is  acted  on,  do 
scarcely  give  any  credit  to  the  statements  which  appear  in 
some  periodicals,  and  the  public  at  large  are  beginning  to 
open  their  eyes  to  the  same  thing.  It  is  strange  to  me  that 
missionaries  and  publishing  committees  do  not  see  the 
excellency  and  efficacy  of  the  system  pursued  by  the  inspired 
writers — that  of  exhibiting  the  good  and  the  bad  alike. 
Nothing  contributes  more  to  establish  the  authenticity  of  the 
writing.  A  temporary  advantage  gained  by  suppressing 
truth  is  a  real  defeat  in  the  end,  and  therefore  piovj]  Svreov 
a\}]deia. 

^^  March  27.  Ran  down  the  river  without  touching  at  any 
place  by  the  way.  At  night  reached  Maulmain,  after  an 
absence  of  nearly  a  month,  during  which  I  have  baptized 
nineteen,  making  eighty  Karen  Christians  in  connection  with 
the  Maulmain  station,  of  whom  one  is  dead  and  two  are  sus- 
pended from  communion.  Am  glad,  yet  sorry,  to  find  that 
brother  Bennett  arrived  a  fortnight  ago  from  Calcutta,  with 
a  complete  font  of  types,  and  yesterday  sent  a  boat  to  call 
me,  which,  however,  passed  us  on  the  way.  Must  I,  then, 
relinquish  my  intention  of  making  another  trip  up  the  river 
before  the  rains  set  in  ?  Must  I  relinquish  for  many  months, 
and  perhaps  forever,  the  pleasure  of  singing  as  I  go, — 

"  '  In  these  deserts  let  me  labor, 

On  these  mountains  let  me  tell ' } 

Truly,  the  tears  fall  as  I  write." 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1832  Mr,  Judson  reported  one 
hundred  and  forty-three  baptisms :  three  at  Rangoon, 
seventy  at  Maulmain,  sixty-seven  at  Tavoy,  and  three  at 
Mergui.  This  made  five  hundred  and  sixteen  who  had  been 
baptized  since  his  arrival  in  Burmah,  only  seventeen  of 
whom  had  been  finally  excluded. 


396  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXTRAM  JUDSON. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  new  year  a  party  of  new  mission- 
aries arrived  in  Maulmain  from  America.  These  reinforce- 
ments seem  to  have  come  in  response  to  a  stirring  appeal 
for  help  sent  by  the  missionaries  nearly  a  year  before  : 

To  the  American  Baptist  Board  for  Foreign  Missiojis. 

"Maulmain,  March /\,  1832. 

"Respected  Fathers  and  Brethren:  At  our  monthly  concert 
this  morning,  it  was  unanimously  agreed  that  a  joint  letter  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  you  on  the  importance  of  sending  out  more  missionaries  to 
this  part  of  the  heathen  world.  Being,  every  one  of  us,  exceedingly 
pressed  for  want  of  time,  we  can  not  stop  to  prepare  an  elaborate  state- 
ment, but  must  come  at  once  to  the  point  in  hand. 

"We  are  in  distress.  We  see  thousands  perishing  around  us.  We 
.see  mission  stations  opening  on  every  side,  the  fields  growing  whiter 
every  dav,  and  no  laborers  to  reap  the  harvest.  If  each  one  of  us  could 
divide  himself  into  three  parts,  happy  would  he  be,  not  only  to  take  leave 
of  his  native  land  and  beloved  connections  at  home,  but  of  still  nearer 
and  more  intimate  connections.  We  want  instantly  to  send  aid  to  the 
Tavoy  station,  where  brother  Mason  is  laboring,  almost  alone.  We 
want  instantly  to  send  a  missionary  to  Mergui,  a  pleasant,  healthful  town, 
south  of  Tavoy,  where  a  small  church  has  been  raised  up,  and  left  in 
charge  of  a  native  pastor.  Our  hearts  bleed  when  we  think  of  poor 
Mergui  and  the  Karens  in  that  vicinity,  many  of  whom  are  ready  to  em- 
brace the  Gospel  and  be  saved  But  how  can  we  allow  ourselves  to  think 
of  that  small  place,  when  the  whole  kingdom  of  Siam  lies  in  our  rear,  and 
the  city  of  Bangkok,  at  once  a  port  for  ships  and  the  seat  of  imperial  gov- 
ernment }  We  want  instantly  to  dispatch  one  of  our  number  to  Bang- 
kok. One?  There  ought,  at  this  moment,  to  be  three,  at  least,  on  their 
way  to  that  important  place.  Another  ought  to  be  on  his  way  to  Yah- 
heing,  a  large  town  east  of  Maulmain,  from  which  there  is  :\  line  river 
leading  down  to  Bangkok ;  there  are  many  Karens  at  Yah-h.  ing.  The 
Christian  religion  is  creeping  that  way  by  means  of  our  Karen  disciples. 
North  of  Yah-heing  and  the  Thoung-yen  River,  the  boundary  of  the 
British  territory  on  that  side,  lies  the  kingdom  or  principality  of  Zenmai. 
There  have  been  several  communications  between  the  Government  ot 
Maulmam  and  Lah-bong,  the  present  capital  of  that  countr}'.  Moung 
Shway-bwen,  one  of  our  disciples,  formerly  with  brother  Boardman  at 
Tavoy,  is  a  nephew  of  the  prince,  or  deputy  prince,  of  that  country,  and 
is  anxious  to  return  thither.  But  how  can  we  send  him,  a  very  young 
man,  without  a  missionary.?  If  we  had  a  spare  missionary,  what  a  fine 
opportunity  for  introducing  the  Gospel   into   that   central   nation !     It 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIK. 


397 


would  open  the  way  to  other  neighboring  nations,  not  even  mentioned  in 
foreign  geographies,  and  even  to  the  borders  of  China  and  Tartary.  Be- 
tween Maulmain  and  Zenmai  are  various  tribes  of  Karens,  Toung-thoos, 
Lah-wahs,  etc.  The  former  are  literally  crying  out  aloud  for  a  written 
language,  that  they  may  read  in  their  own  tongue  the  wonderful  works 
of  God.  From  the  banks  of  the  Yoon-za-len,  on  the  north-west,  the 
celebrated  prophet  of  the  Karens  has  repeatedly  sent  down  messages  and 
presents  to  us,  begging  that  we  would  come  and  instruct  his  people  in 
the  Christian  religion.  But  how  can  we  think  of  supplying  that  quarter, 
when  the  old  kingdom  of  Arracan,  now  undei  British  rule,  and  speaking 
the  same  language  with  the  Burmese,  is  crying,  in  the  whole  length  and 
breadth  of  her  coast,  for  some  one  to  come  to  her  rescue  ?  In  that 
country  are  one  or  two  hundred  converts,  and  one  country-born  mis- 
sionary, from  the  Serampore  connection,  who  is  laboring  without  any 
prospect  of  reinforcement  from  Bengal,  and  desirous  that  one  of  us 
should  join  him,  Kyouk  Phyoo,  lately  established  by  the  English,  is  es- 
teemed a  healthy  place.  The  commandant  is  disposed  to  welcome  a 
missionary,  and  afford  him  every  facility.  Our  hearts  bleed  when  we 
think  of  Kyouk  Phyoo,  and  the  poor  inquirers  that  one  of  our  number 
lately  left  there,  ready  to  embrace  the  Christian  religion,  if  he  would  only 
promise  to  remain  or  send  a  successor.  From  Kyouk  Phyoo  the  way  is 
open  into  the  four  provinces  of  Arracan,  namely,  Rek-keing.  Chedubah, 
Ramree,  and  Sandoway ;  and  what  a  grand  field  for  our  tracts,  and  the 
New  Testament,  now  in  press  !  Of  all  the  places  that  now  cry  around 
us,  we  think  that  Kyouk  Phyoo  cries  the  loudest.  No  ;  we  listen  again, 
and  the  shrill  cry  of  golden  Ava  rises  above  them  all.  Oh,  Ava  !  Ava  ! 
with  thy  metropolitan  walls  and  gilded  turrets,  thou  sittest  a  lady  among 
tnese  Eastern  nations ;  but  our  hearts  bleed  for  thee  !  In  thee  is  no 
Christian  church,  no  missionary  of  the  cross. 

"  We  have  lately  heard  of  the  death  of  poor  Prince  Myen  Zeing.  He 
liied  without  any  missionary  or  Christian  to  guide  his  groping  soul  on  the 
last  dark  journey.  Where  has  that  journey  terminated  }  Is  he  in  the 
bright  world  of  Paradise,  or  in  the  burning  lake  ?  He  had  attained  some 
knowledge  of  the  way  of  salvation.  Perhaps,  in  his  last  hours,  he  turned 
away  his  eye  from  tlie  gold  and  silver  idols  around  his  couch,  and  looked 
to  the  crucified  Saviour.  But  those  who  first  taught  him  were  far  away  ; 
so  he  died,  and  was  buried  like  a  heathen.  It  is  true  that  the  one  of  our 
number  who  formerly  lived  at  Ava  would  not  be  tolerated  during  the 
present  reign  ;  but  another  missionary  would,  doubtless,  be  well  received, 
and,  if  prudent,  be  allowed  to  remain.  Two  missionaries  ought,  at  this 
moment,  to  be  studying  the  language  in  Ava. 

"  O  God  of  mercy,  have  mercy  on  Ava,  and  Chageing,  and  A-ma-ra- 
poo-ra.    Have  mercy  on  Pugan  and  Prome  (poor  Prome  !),  on  Toung-oo, 


398  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

on  the  port  of  Bassein,  and  on  all  the  towns  between  Ava  and  Rangoon, 
Have  mercy  on  old  Pegu  and  the  surrounding  district.  Have  mercy  on 
the  four  provinces  of  Arracan.  Have  mercy  on  the  inhabitants  of  the 
banks  of  the  Yoon-za-len,  the  Salwen,  the  Thoung-yen,  and  the  Gyne. 
Have  mercy  on  all  the  Karens,  the  Toung-thoos,  the  Lah-wahs,  and 
other  tribes,  whose  names,  though  unknown  in  Christian  lands, 
are  known  to  Thee.  Have  mercy  on  Zen-mai,  on  Lah-bong,  Myeing- 
yoon-gyee,  and  Yay-heing.  Have  mercy  on  Bangkok,  and  the  kingdom 
of  Siam,  and  all  the  other  principalities  that  lie  on  the  north  and  cast. 
Have  mercy  on  poor  little  Mergui,  and  Pah-Ian,  and  Yay,  and  Lah-meing^ 
and  Nah-zaroo,  and  Amherst,  and  the  Island  of  Ba-loo,  with  its  villages 
of  Talings  and  Karens.  Have  mercy  on  our  mission  stations  at  Tavoy, 
Maulmain,  and  Rangoon,  and  our  sub-stations  at  Mergui,  Chummerah, 
and  Nevvville.  Pour  out  Thine  Holy  Spirit  upon  us  and  our  assistants, 
upon  our  infant  churches  and  our  schools.  Aid  us  in  the  solemn  and 
laborious  work  of  translating  and  printing  Thine  holy,  ins|Mred  word  in 
the  languages  of  these  heathen.  Oh,  keep  our  faith  from  failing,  our 
spirits  from  sinking,  and  our  mortal  frames  from  giving  way  prematurely 
under  the  influence  of  the  climate  and  the  pressure  of  our  labors.  Have 
mercy  on  the  Board  of  Missions ;  and  grant  that  our  beloved  and  re- 
spected fathers  and  brethren  maybe  aroused  to  greater  effort,  and  go 
forth  personally  into  all  parts  of  the  land,  and  put  in  requisition  all  the 
energies  of  Thy  people.  Have  mercy  on  the  churches  in  tlie  United 
States  ;  hold  back  the  curse  of  Meroz  ;  continue  and  perpetuate  the  heav- 
enly revivals  of  religion  which  they  have  begun  to  enjoy  ;  and  may  the 
time  soon  come  when  no  church  shall  dare  to  sit  under  Sabbath  and 
sanctuary  privileges  without  having  one  of  their  number  to  represent  them 
on  heathen  ground.  Have  mercy  on  the  theological  seminaries,  and 
hasten  the  time  when  one-half  of  all  who  yearly  enter  the  ministry  shall 
be  taken  by  Thine  Holy  Spirit,  and  driven  into  the  wilderness,  feeling  a 
sweet  necessity  laid  on  them,  and  the  precious  love  of  Christ  and  of  souls 
constraining  them.  Hear,  O  Lord,  all  the  prayers  which  are  this  day 
presented  in  all  the  monthly  concerts  throughout  the  habitable  globe, 
and  hasten  the  millennial  glory,  for  which  we  are  all  longing,  and  pray- 
ing, and  laboring.  Adorn  Thy  beloved  one  in  her  bridal  vestments,  that 
she  may  shine  forth  in  immaculate  beauty  and  celestial  splendor.  Come, 
O  our  Bridegroom;  come.  Lord  Jesus;  come  quickly.    Amen  and  Amen, 

"  (Signed),  "  C.  Bennett, 

"  Oliver  T.  Cutter, 
"John  Taylor  Jones, 

"  A.    JUDSON, 

"J.  Wade." 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


399 


A  letter  from  one  of  the  new-comers*  to  her  parents 
gives  us  an  interesting  glimpse  of  our  missionary's  personal 
habits : 

"  Our  intercourse  with  Mr.  Judson  is  of  a  very  pleasing  nature,  and  we 
feel  happy  to  be  permitted  in  the  least  degree  to  take  off  the  edge  of  his 
loneliness.  It  is  affecting  to  hear  his  petitions  for  a  long  life,  to  labor 
among  the  heathen,  mingled  as  they  are  with  panting  aspirations  after 
heaven.  He  seems  uniformly  seriously  cheerful.  His  days  and  nights 
are  spent  in  a  room  adjoining  the  native  chapel,  where  he  spends  all  his 
time,  except  that  devoted  to  meals  (twice  a  day)  and  exercise,  and  gen- 
erally he  has  a  sort  of  social  conversation  with  some  one  of  the  mission 
families  in  the  evening.  He  is  confining  himself  as  closely  as  possible  to 
the  completion  of  his  translation  of  the  Scriptures.  His  exhortations  to 
us  all  to  exercise,  are  practically  enforced  by  his  own  example.  He 
walks  ver)'  early  in  the  morning,  rain  or  shine  ;  also  after  sunset.  He 
told  me  that  he  had  no  doubt  that  so  much  loss  of  health  and  life  to 
foreigners  in  this  climate  is  principally  due  to  their  negligence  on  this 
point." 

But  the  time  had  at  last  come  when  Mr.  Judson's  long 
domestic  solitude  was  to  end.  Under  date  of  April  lo, 
1834,  we  find  in  his  journal  the  following  important  entry: 

"  Was  married  to  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Boardman,  who  was  born 
at  Alstead,  New  Hampshire,  November  4,  1803,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Ralph  and  Abiah  O.  Hall — married  to  George  D. 
Boardman,  July  4,  1825 — left  a  widow  February  11,  1831, 
with  one  surviving  child,  George  D.  Boardman,  born  August 
18,  1828." 

Nearly  eight  years  of  loneliness  had  passed  since  he  laid 
his  beloved  Ann  beneath  the  hopia-tree.  He  had  arrived 
at  the  age  of  forty-six,  when  he  married  Mrs.  Boardman. 
He  found  in  her  a  kindred  spirit.  She  had  spent  the  three 
years  of  her  widowhood  in  heroic  toil  among  the  Karens  at 
Tavoy,  and  had  turned  persistently  away  from  the  urgent 
appeals  of  her  friends  in  America  to  return  home  for  her 
own  sake  and  the  sake  of  her  little  boy.     She  had  resolved 

*  Mrs.  Webb. 


400  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

to  continue  her  husband's  labors  alone,  and  thus  wrote  con- 
cerning her  purpose : 

"  As  to  my  future  walk,  I  feel,  I  trust,  a  desire  to  be  guided 
by  unerring  Wisdom.  I  have  never  been  able  to  think  of 
abandoning  forever  the  cause  in  which  my  beloved  husband 
rejoiced  to  wear  out  his  feeble  frame  and  sink  into  a  prema- 
ture grave.  The  death-bed  scene  has  inspired  me  with  a 
fortitude,  or  I  would  hope,  faith  unknown  before,  and  encir- 
cled the  missionary  enterprise  with  a  glory  not  until  then 
perceived." 

And  again  she  says : 

"  When  I  first  stood  by  the  grave  of  my  husband,  I  thought 
that  I  must  go  home  with  George.  But  these  poor,  inquir- 
ing, and  Christian  Karens,  and  the  school-boys,  and  the  Bur- 
mese Christians,  would  then  be  left  without  any  one  to 
instruct  them  ;  and  the  poor,  stupid  Tavoyans  would  go  on 
in  the  road  to  death,  with  no  one  to  warn  them  of  their  dan- 
ger. How  then,  oh,  how  can  I  go  ?  We  shall  not  be  sepa- 
rated long.  A  few  more  years,  and  we  shall  all  meet  in 
yonder  blissful  world,  whither  those  we  love  have  gone  be- 
fore us." 

And  so  for  three  years  this  beautiful  and  intrepid  woman 
continued  her  husband's  work.  She  was  the  guiding  spirit 
of  the  mission.  She  pointed  out  the  way  of  life  to  the 
Karen  inquirers  who  came  in  from  the  wilderness.  She 
conducted  her  schools  with  such  tact  and  ability  that  when, 
afterward,  an  appropriation  was  obtained  from  the  English 
Government  for  schools  throughout  the  provinces,  it  was 
expressly  stipulated  that  they  should  be  "  conducted  on  the 
plan  of  Mrs.  Boardman's  schools  at  Tavoy."  She  even  made 
long  missionary  tours  into  the  Karen  jungles.  With  her  little 
boy  carried  by  her  followers  at  her  side,  she  climbed  the 
mountain,  traversed  the  marsh,  forded  the  stream,  and 
threaded  the  forest.  On  one  of  these  trips  she  sent  back  a 
characteristic  message  to  Mrs.  Mason  at  Tavoy  :  "  Perhaps 


LIFE  IN  MA  UL  MA  IN.  40 1 

you  had  better  send  the  chair,  as  it  is  convenient  to  be  car- 
ried over  the  streams  when  they  are  deep.  You  will  laugh 
when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  forded  all  the  smaller  ones." 

Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson  relates  the  following  incident  concern- 
ing her  :'" 

'■•  A  single  anecdote  is  related  by  Captain  F ,  a  British 

officer,  stationed  at  Tavoy  ;  and  he  used  to  dwell  with  much 
unction  on  the  lovely  apparition  which  once  greeted  him 
among  those  wild,  dreary  mountains.  He  had  left  Tavoy, 
accompanied  by  a  few  followers,  I  think  on  a  hunting  expe- 
dition, and  had  strolled  far  into  the  jungle.  The  heavy  rains, 
which  deluge  this  country  in  the  summer,  had  not  yet  com- 
menced ;  but  they  were  near  at  hand,  and  during  the  night 
had  sent  an  earnest  of  their  coming,  which  was  anything  but 
agreeable.  All  along  his  path  hung  the  dripping  trailers, 
and  beneath  his  feet  were  the  roots  of  vegetables,  half-bared, 
and  half-imbedded  in  mud  ;  while  the  dark  clouds,  with  the 
rain  almost  incessantly  pouring  from  them,  and  the  crazy 
clusters  of  bamboo  huts,  which  appeared  here  and  there  in 
the  gloomy  waste,  and  were  honored  by  the  name  of  village, 
made  up  a  scene  of  desolation  absolutely  indescribable.  A 
heavy  shower  coming  up  as  he  approached  a  zayat  by  the 
wayside,  and  far  from  even  one  of  those  primitive  villages, 
he  hastily  took  refuge  beneath  the  roof.  Here,  in  no  very 
good  humor  with  the  world,  especially  Asiatic  jungles  and 
tropic  rains,  he  sulkily  'whistled  for  want  of  thought,'  and 
employed  his  e3'es  in  watching  the  preparations  for  his  break- 
fast. 

" '  Uh  !  what  wretched  corners  the  world  has,  hidden  be- 
yond its  oceans  and  behind  its  trees  ! ' 

"Just  as  he  had  made  this  sage  mental  reflection,  he  was 
startled  by  the  vision  of  a  fair,  smiling  face  in  front  of  the 
zayat,  the  property  of  a  dripping  figure,  which  seemed  to  his 
surprised  imagination  to  have  stepped  that  moment  from  the 


*  The  reader  is  referred  to  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson's  charming  memoir  of  Mrs.  Sarah  B 
Judson. 

26 


402  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

clouds.  But  the  party  of  wild  Karen  followers  which  gath- 
ered round  her  had  a  very  human  air  ;  and  the  slight  burdens 
they  bore,  spoke  of  human  wants  and  human  cares.  The 
lady  seemed  as  much  surprised  as  himself  ;  but  she  courtesied 
with  ready  grace,  as  she  made  some  pleasant  remark  in  Eng- 
lish ;  and  then  turned  to  retire.  Here  was  a  dilemma.  He 
could  not  suffer  the  lady  to  go  out  into  the  rain,  but — his 
miserable  accommodations,  and  still  more  miserable  break- 
fast !  He  hesitated  and  stammered  ;  but  her  quick  appre- 
hension had  taken  in  all  at  a  glance,  and  she  at  once  relieved 
him  from  his  embarrassment.  Mentioning  her  name  and 
errand,  she  added,  smiling,  that  the  emergencies  of  the  wil- 
derness were  not  new  to  her  ;  and  now  she  begged  leave  to 
put  her  own  breakfast  with  his,  and  make  up  a  pleasant 
morning  party.  Then  beckoning  to  her  Karens,  she  spoke  a 
few  unintelligible  words,  and  disappeared  under  a  low  shed — 
a  mouldering  appendage  of  the  zayat.  She  soon  returned 
with  the  same  sunny  face,  and  in  dry  clothing  ;  and  very 
pleasant  indeed  was  the  interview  between  the  pious  officer 
and  the  lady-missionary.  They  were  friends  afterward  ;  and 
the  circumstances  of  their  first  meeting  proved  a  very  charm- 
ing reminiscence." 

Soon  after  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  were  com- 
pelled to  part  with  little  George  Boardman.  He  was  but 
six  years  old,  and  yet  had  reached  an  age  when  a  child  be- 
gins to  be,  in  a  peculiar  sense,  the  companion  of  his  parents. 
But  the  children  of  Anglo-Saxon  residents  in  the  East  have 
to  be  sent  at  an  early  age  toward  the  setting  sun ;  other- 
wise they  are  in  danger  of  death  under  the  debilitating  in- 
fluence of  the  Oriental  climate ;  or  if  they  get  their  growth 
at  all,  are  liable  to  feebleness  of  mind  and  body.  Such  a 
separation  between  parent  and  child  can  not  but  be  peculi- 
arly distressing  to  the  missionary.  He  devotes  himself  for 
life  and  expects  to  die  on  the  field,  and  thus  the  parting 
bids  fair  to  be  final.  Other  Europeans  and  Americans  are 
merely  temporary  residents  in  the  East,  and  though  also 
compelled   to   send    their   children    home,   may   reasonably 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


403 


hope  to  clasp  them  in  their  arms  once  more  after  a  short 
separation.  The  missionary's  child,  on  the  other  hand,  must 
be  permanently  consigned  to  the  care  of  distant  strangers. 
This  is,  perhaps,  the  keenest  suffering  that  falls  to  his  lot. 
Who  can  fail  to  drop  a  tear  over  the  scene  of  the  Comstocks 
parting  with  their  children  as  thus  described  by  Dr.  Kincaid  : 

"  I  shall  never  forq^et  the  parting  scene  of  brother  Comstock  and  his 
wife  with  their  children,  when  we  sailed  from  the  shores  of  Arracan. 
They  had  made  up  their  minds  to  entrust  us  with  their  two  children,  on 
account  of  the  difficulty  of  educating  them  in  a  heathen  land.  We  were 
together  one  day,  at  their  house,  when  word  came  that  the  ship  was 
ready  to  sail,  and  we  must  prepare  to  embark  immediately.  Upon  the 
arrival  of  this  message,  which  we  had  been  expecting,  Mrs.  Comstock 
arose  from  her  seat,  took  her  two  children,  one  in  each  hand,  and  walked 
with  them  toward  a  grove  of  tamarind  trees  near  the  house.  When  she  had 
walked  some  little  distance,  she  paused  a  moment,  looked  at  each  of  her 
children  with  all  a  mother's  love,  and  imprinted  an  affectionate  kiss  upon 
the  forehead  of  each.  She  then  raised  her  eyes  to  heaven,  silently  in- 
voked a  blessing  on  their  heads ;  returned  to  the  house,  and  delivering 
her  children  into  my  hands,  said,  '  Brother  Kincaid,  this  I  do  for  my 
Saviour' 

"  Brother  Comstock  then  took  his  two  children  by  the  hand,  and  led 
them  from  the  house  toward  the  ship,  while  that  tender  mother  gazed 
upon  them,  as  they  walked  away,  for  the  last  time.  She  saw  them  no 
more  on  earth.  God  grant  that  she  may  meet  them  in  heaven  ! 
Brother  Comstock  accompanied  his  two  children  to  the  ship,  which  lay 
about  two  miles  off  in  the  bay.  When  we  had  descended  to  the  cabin, 
he  entered  one  of  the  state-rooms  with  his  children.  There  he  knelt 
with  them  in  prayer,  laid  his  hands  upon  their  heads,  and  bestowed  a 
father's  blessing  upon  them — the  tears,  all  the  while,  streaming  down 
his  cheeks.  This  affecting  duty  over,  he  resumed,  at  once,  his  usual 
calmness.  He  took  leave  of  me  with  a  gentle  pressure  of  the  hand,  and 
I  followed  him  to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  as  he  descended  into  the  small 
boat  which  lay  alongside,  and  which  was  to  convey  him  to  the  shore. 
Never  shall  I  forget  the  words,  or  the  tone  in  which  those  words  were 
uttered,  as  he  turned  up  his  face,  still  bedewed  with  tears,  and  exclaimed, 
as  the  boat  moved  away,  '  Remember,  brother  Kincaid,  six  men 
FOR  Arracan  !' 

"  I  never  saw  brother  or  sister  Comstock  after  that.  The  very  day 
that  we  took  a  pilot  on  board  off  Sandy  Hook,  April  28,  1843,  was  the 
day  that  sister  Comstock  died,  and  in  one  year  afterward,  lacking  three 


404  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON'. 

days,  that  is,  on  the  25th  of  April,  1844,  brother  Comstock  followed  her. 
Now  they  sleep  side  by  side  in  the  grave-yard  at  Ramree,  under  the 
tamarind  trees." 

It  was  a  heavy  day  for  Mrs.  Judson  when  her  husbani 
carried  to  the  ship  Cashmere  the  child  *  who  had  been  the 
sharer  of  all  her  sufferings  and  griefs  at  Tavoy.  It  was  well 
for  her  that  a  veil  hid  from  her  eyes  the  immediate  future, 
else  she  might  have  seen  the  boy's  hairbreadth  escape  from 
pirates  and  the  tortures  of  terror  to  which  the  shrinking 
child  was  subjected  on  board  the  ship  which  was  bearing 
him  away  from  his  mother's  side. 

While  in  Maulmain,  Mr.  Judson  completed  the  Burman 
Bible.  It  was  about  the  time  of  his  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Boardman  that  he  finished  the  first  rough  draft.  Seventeen 
years  before  in  Rangoon,  all  he  had  to  offer  of  the  precious 
Scriptures  to  the  first  Burman  inquirer  was  two  half  sheets 
containing  the  first  five  chapters  of  Matthew.f  From  that 
time  on,  beneath  all  his  toils  and  sufferings  and  afflictions, 
there  moved  the  steady  undercurrent  of  this  great  purpose 
and  labor  of  Bible  translation.  It  was  a  task  for  which  he 
had  little  relish.  He  much  preferred  dealing  with  the  Bur- 
mans  individually,  and  persuading  them,  one  by  one,  of  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel.  In  a  letter  which  states  his  purpose  of 
relinquishing  for  many  months  the  pleasure  of  laboring  in 
the  Karen  jungles  in  order  to  shut  himself  up  to  the  work 
of  translation,  he  says,  "  The  tears  flow  as  I  write."  Allud- 
ing to  this  same  labor  of  translation,  he  writes  to  the  Corre- 
sponding Secretary,  "And  so,  God  willing  and  giving  us  life 
and  strength,  we  hope  to  go  on,  but  we  hope  still  to  be 
allowed  to  feel  that  our  great  work  is  to  preach  the  Gospel 
viva  voce,  and  build  up  the  glorious  kingdom  of  Christ 
among  this  people." 

And  when,  the  Bible  being  finished,  the  Board  at  home 


♦George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Philadelphia, 
t  See  page  no. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  405 

pressed   him   to  undertake   the  Dictionary,  he  sorrowfully 
exclaims : 

"  How  can  I  think  of  leaving  this  population  to  perish  be- 
fore me,  while  I  am  poring  over  manuscripts  and  proof- 
sheets  ?  I  must  not  do  it ;  I  can  not  do  it,  unless  the  Board 
expressly  order  it ;  and  then  I  will  obey,  believing  that  vox 
senatus  vox  Dei.  But  before  they  order  the  only  preaching 
missionary  in  the  place  to  spend  his  time  in  making  books, 
and  above  all  a  dictionary,  I  beg  they  will  deeply  consider 
the  propriety  of  appointing  him  a  preaching  colleague." 

But  the  translation  of  the  Bible  was  essentially  necessary 
to  the  permanent  establishment  of  Christianity  in  Burmah, 
and  no  other  living  man  was  qualified  for  the  work.  And 
so,  in  the  brief  intervals  of  preaching,  and  teaching,  and 
imprisonment,  and  jungle  travel,  secluding  himself  in  the 
garret  at  Rangoon,  and  afterward  in  the  little  room  attached 
to  the  mission-house  at  Maulmain,  he  quietly  wrought  at 
this  prodigious  task,  until,  at  last,  he  could  write  on  January 
31,  1834,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  : 

"  Thanks  be  to  God,  I  can  now  say  I  have  attained.  I  have 
knelt  down  before  Him,  with  the  last  leaf  in  my  hand,  and 
imploring  His  forgiveness  for  all  the  sins  which  have  polluted 
my  labors  in  this  department,  and  His  aid  in  future  efforts  to 
remove  the  errors  and  imperfections  which  necessarily  cleave 
to  the  work,  I  have  commended  it  to  His  mercy  and  grace  ; 
I  have  dedicated  it  to  His  glory.  May  He  make  His  own 
inspired  word,  now  complete  in  the  Burman  tongue,  the 
grand  instrument  of  filling  all  Burmah  with  songs  of  praise 
to  our  great  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.     Amen." 

Some  of  the  peculiar  ideas  that  controlled  him  in  the 
work  of  translation,  and  some  of  the  special  difificulties  he 
encountered,  are  disclosed  in  his  letters  : 

"  My  ideas  of  translating  are  very  different  from  those  of 
some  missionaries,  better  men  than  myself,  but  mistaken,  I 
think,  in  this  particular.  I  consider  it  the  work  of  a  man's 
whole  life  to  procure  a  really  good  translation  of  even  the 


4o6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

New  Testament  in  an  untried  language.  I  could  write  much 
on  this  subject,  but  I  have  neither  time  nor  disposition.  I 
would  only  say  that,  in  many  instances,  missionary  labor  has 
been  dreadfully  misdirected,  and  hundreds  of  thousands 
most  foolishly  thrown  away.  As  to  us,  we  wish  to  proceed 
slow  and  sure,  and  to  see  to  it  that  whatever  we  do,  in  regard 
to  the  inspired  word,  is  well  done.  About  four  months  ago, 
being  convinced  that  the  New  Testament,  notwithstanding 
all  my  labor  upon  it,  was  still  in  a  very  imperfect  state, 
brother  Wade  and  myself  undertook  a  thorough  revision. 
We  have  now  done  one-quarter  of  it ;  and  I  have  some  hope 
that  by  the  time  the  printer  and  press  arrive,  we  shall  be 
able  to  warrant  the  whole.  After  that,  we  propose  to  work 
and  rework  at  the  precious  book  of  Psalms,  until  we  can 
venture  to  warrant  that  also.  And  so,  God  willing,  and  giv- 
ing us  life  and  strength,  we  hope  to  go  on Allow  me 

to  suggest  whether  the  exegetical  works  of  Stuart,  Robinson, 
Stowe,  Ripley,  Bush,  Noyes,  and  such  like,  with  some  of  the 
best  German  works,  ought  not  to  be  sent  out  to  the  library, 
as  soon  as  they  come  from  the  press,  without  waiting  for  an 
application  to  be  made  for  them.  I  frequently  see  a  sterling 
work  on  the  cover  of  the  Herald  or  Magazine,  and  am  ready 
to  scream,  with  some  variations,  '  The  book,  the  book  !  my 
kingdom  for  the  book  ! '  Yes,  a  kingdom,  if  the  same  ship 
which  brought  the  notice  had  brought  the  work  too  ;  whereas 
I  have  to  wait  for  letters  to  cross  the  ocean  twice  or  three 
times,  at  least,  and  thus  two  or  three  years'  use  of  the  book 
is  lost,  during  which  time  I  am,  perhaps,  working  upon  that 
very  portion  of  Scripture  which  that  book  is  intended  to 
illustrate." 

Again  he  writes  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sharp  : 

"  Maulmain,  June  28,  1S33. 
"  I  ought  to  have  written  you  long  ago  ;  but  necessity  has 
no  law.  I  have  lately  entered  upon  a  plan  by  which  I  hope 
to  finish  the  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  in  two  years. 
I  find  by  experience  that  I  can  dispose  of  twenty-five  or 
thirty  verses  per  day,  by  giving  all  my  time  to  the  work 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  407 

One-third  of  the  whole  is  already  done.  You  may,  perhaps, 
wonder  why  I  make  such  a  tedious  work  of  translating,  when 
some  persons  dispatch  the  whole  New  Testament,  and  per- 
haps part  of  the  Old,  within  a  year  or  two  after  entering 
their  field  of  labor.  There  are  two  ways  of  translating — the 
one  original,  the  other  second-hand.  The  first  must  be 
adopted  by  a  missionary  whose  lot  falls  in  a  section  of  the 
globe  where  there  is  no  translation  of  the  Scriptures  in  any 
cognate  language,  or  in  any  language  known  to  the  learned 
men  of  the  country.  In  that  case,  he  must  spend  some  years 
in  reading  a  great  many  books,  and  in  acquiring  a  competent 
stock  of  the  language  ;  that,  like  as  the  spider  spins  her  web 
from  her  own  bowels,  he  may  be  able  to  extract  the  transla- 
tion from  his  own  brain.  The  other  mode  may  be  advan- 
tageously adopted  by  a  missionary  who  has  in  "his  hand  the 
Bible,  already  translated  into  some  language  known  by 
learned  natives  in  the  country.  In  that  case,  he  has  only  to 
get  a  smattering  of  their  vernacular,  enough  to  superintend 
their  operations,  and  then  parcel  out  the  work,  and  it  is  done 
by  steam.  There  have  been  but  few  original  translations. 
That  by  Ziegenbalg  and  his  associates,  in  Tamil,  has  served 
for  all  the  dialects  in  the  south  of  India.  That  by  Carey  and 
his  associates,  in  Sanscrit  and  Bengalee,  has  been  the  basis 
of  all  the  other  translations  which  they  have  conducted. 
Morrison's  Chinese  translation  will  probably  be  transferred 
into  all  the  cognate  languages  ;  and  the  Taling,  Karen,  and 
Lah-wah,  together  with  the  Siamese,  and  other  Shan  trans- 
lations, will  be  obtained  more  or  less  directly  from  the  Bur- 
man.  I  mention  the  above  as  specimens  merely  ;  not  intend- 
ing to  imply  that  they  are  the  only  original  translations  that 
have  been  made.  Nor  would  I  be  understood  to  speak  dis- 
paragingly of  second-hand  translations.  If  the  partners  em- 
ployed are  faithful,  a  second-hand  translation  may  be  superior 
to  an  original  one.  At  any  rate,  it  will  probably  be  more 
idiomatic,  and  in  all  cases,  when  practicable,  it  ought  un- 
doubtedly to  be  attempted  as  a  first  essay  ;  and  as  the  mis- 
sionary advances  in  the  language,  he  can  gradually  raise  it 
to  any  degree  of  perfection. 


4oS  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  But  I  sadly  fear  that,  if  I  prolong  this  letter,  it  will  leave 
my  to-day's  task  of  twenty  verses  in  the  rear." 

The  work  of  translating  was  done  thoroughly  and  consci- 
entiously. Every  Hebrew  and  Greek  word  was  turned  as 
far  as  possible  into  its  exact  Burmese  equivalent.  The 
Greek  word  for  baptism  was  justly  translated  into  Burmese, 
Ya-kneat  mengalah,  that  is,  the  water-bathing  or  immersing 
religious  rite.  But  it  is  taking  a  long  step  to  infer  from 
this  that  Mr.  Judson  approved  of  a  new  version  in  English, 
which  should  discard  the  thoroughly  acclimated  English 
word  baptize,  and  substitute  the  word  immerse.  His  death 
occurring  just  as  a  new  project  of  such  a  version  w^as  ap- 
pearing on  the  horizon,  he  has,  of  course,  left  behind  no 
autographic  testimony  on  this  subject.  That  his  name  can 
not  be  claimed  as  on  the  side  of  such  a  version  may  be 
learned  from  a  hitherto  unpublished  letter  written  by  his 
widow  within  three  years  of  his  death  : 

"  There  is  one  thing  that  annoys  me  a  good  deal — the  New 
Bible  Versionists  claim  Dr.  J.,  and  I  know  (though  I  do  not 
feel  brave  enough  to  oppose  my  bare  assertion  to  the  '  weight 
of  testimony '  they  would  hurl  at  my  head)  that  nobody 
could  disapprove  of  a  new  English  version  of  the  Scriptures 
more  heartily  and  entirely  than  he.  He  was  very  strenuous 
about  his  Burmese  version,  and  would  no  doubt  have  per- 
severed in  his  translation  if  the  whole  world  had  been 
against  him.  He  considered  baptize  an  English  word,  in 
virtue  of  its  long  use,  and  thought  that  it  had  no  complete 
synonym  in  the  language.  It  would  be  a  new  word  to  in- 
troduce into  the  Burmese,  and  would  only  add  to  the  pecul- 
iar mystic  importance  which  always  attaches  to  the  ordi- 
nance in  a  heathen  mind  ;  and,  besides,  it  was  perfectly 
translatable.  The  ya-kneat  mengalah  (literally,  the  water- 
bathing,  or  immersing  religious  rite)  of  the  Burmans  is  definite 
and  dignified,  and  without  an  equivalent  in  meaning  in  English. 
The  circular  of  the  new  society  reached  Maulmain  a  month 
too  late  ;  but  previous  to  that  he  had  spoken  to  me  in  terms 


LIFE  r.V  MA  ULMAIN. 


409 


of  Strong  reprobation  of  the  movements  of  the  New  Ver- 
sionists.  He  was  a  strong,  thorough  Baptist ;  he  admired 
the  Baptist  principle  and  policy,  well  carried  out ;  despised 
all  imitations  of  other  denominations,  and  thought  the 
Baptists  ought  to  be  willing  to  stand  for  what  they  really 
are — the  only  true  representatives  of  religious  freedom  in 
the  world.  But  the  abandonment  of  a  word  in  common  use 
for  centuries,  and  so  slightly  equivocal  in  its  meaning,  he 
would  have  regarded  as  the  very  extreme  of  childishness. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  Dr. and  others  are  honest  in  claim- 
ing him  ;  and  I  do  not  know  but  he  may  have  said  and  writ- 
ten many  things,  especially  when  so  deeply  interested  in  the 
issue  of  his  Burmese  version,  not  difficult  for  them  to  appro- 
priate ;  but  I  do  know  that  he  never  contemplated  a  new 
English  version  for  general  circulation,  and  that  what  he 
heard  of  the  new  movements  caused  him  deep  pain." 

Great  as  was  the  task  of  thus  scrupulously  translating  the 
Bible,  the  revision  was  still  more  laborious.  Seven  years 
were  spent  in  revising  the  first  work.  It  was  a  mental 
peculiarity  of  Mr.  Judson's  never  to  leave  a  thing  alone 
while  it  could  possibly  be  improved.  His  besetting  sin  was, 
in  his  own  expressive  words,  alluded  to  before,  a  lust  for 
finishing,  and  it  was  not  until  1840  that  he  could  say : 

"  On  the  24th  of  October  last,  I  enjoyed  the  great  happi- 
ness of  committing  to  the  press  the  last  sheet  of  the  new 
edition  of  the  Burmese  Bible.  It  makes  about  twelve  hun- 
dred pages  quarto.  We  are  sending  you  several  copies  by 
the  present  conveyance 

"As  for  myself,  I  have  been  almost  entirely  confined  to 
the  very  tedious  work  of  revising  the  Old  Testament.  The 
revision  of  about  one-half  is  completed,  and  the  books  from 
ist  Samuel  to  Job,  inclusive,  have  been  printed  in  an  edition 
of  two  thousand.  We  should  have  put  the  first  volume  to 
press  some  time  ago,  had  we  not  been  obliged  to  wait  for 
paper,  the  London  paper  not  matching  the  American  ;  and 
now,  though  paper  has  arrived,  brother  Hancock  contem- 


4IO  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

plates  going  to  America  for  new  fonts  of  type,  in  several 
languages,  and  brother  Cutter  has  gone  on  another  visit  to 
Ava,  so  that  we  shall  not  probably  recommence  printing  the 
Old  Testament  till  his  return.  I  am  the  more  satisfied  with 
this  arrangement  from  having  just  received  a  complete  set 
of  Rosenmiiller  on  the  Old  Testament,  and  some  other  valu- 
able works,  in  studying  which  I  am  very  desirous  of  going 

over  the  whole  ground  once  more I  thought  that  I 

had  finished  the  revision  of  the  New  Testament  above  a 
month  ago  ;  but  there  is  no  end  to  revising  while  a  thing 
is  in  the  press  ;  so  I  continued  working  at  it  until  I  went  to 
Dong-yan,  and  even  later  ;  for  it  was  not  until  the  2 2d  instant 

that  the  last  proof-sheet  went  to  press 

"  The  work  was  finished — that  is,  the  revision  and  print- 
ing— on  the  24th  October  last,  and  a  happy  day  of  relief  and 
joy  it  was  to  me.  I  have  bestowed  more  time  and  labor  on 
the  revision  than  on  the  first  translation  of  the  work,  and 
more,  perhaps,  than  is  proportionate  to  the  actual  improve- 
ment made.  Long  and  toilsome  research  among  the  biblical 
critics  and  commentators,  especially  the  German,  was  fre 
quently  requisite  to  satisfy  my  mind  that  my  first  position 
was  the  right  one." 

In  the  glow  of  enthusiasm  that  attended  the  completion 
of  this  task  of  twenty-four  years,  and  believing  that  the 
Burmans  at  that  time  were  especially  thirsty  for  the  Word 
of  Life,  Mr.  Judson  advocated  the  almost  wholesale  'dis- 
tribution of  the  Bible  throughout  the  land  with  a  warmth 
and  earnestness  which  he  afterward  saw  good  reasons  for 
tempering. 

"  The  Bible  cause  in  this  country  is  now  at  a  very  low  ebb. 
1  once  indulged  the  hope  that  I  should  live  to  see  a  complete 
copy  of  the  whole  Bible  (bound  in  one  volume,  so  as  not  to 
be  liable  to  be  scattered)  deposited  in  every  town  and  village 
throughout  Burmah  and  Arracan.  It  is  true  that  many  thou- 
sand copies  would  be  requisite  ;  great  hardships  would  be 
incurrec"    and  some  sturdy  perseverance  would  have  to  be 


LIFE  IX  MA  ULMAIiV.  4 1 1 

put  in  requisition.  But  the  work  once  accomplished,  there 
would  be  seed  sown  throughout  the  country  that,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  would  spring  up  in  abundant  fruit  to  His 
glory.  From  the  habits  of  the  people  who  frequently  as- 
semble in  large  or  small  parties  at  the  house  of  the  school- 
master, or  chief  person  in  the  village,  to  listen  to  some  one 
reading  from  a  religious  book,  it  appears  to  me  that  to  de- 
posit the  Bible  at  the  principal  place  of  resort  in  every 
village  is  the  least  we  can  do  for  Burmah  ;  and  that  such 
a  plan  will  tell  more  effectually  than  any  other  to  fill  the 
country  with  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth." 

These  views  he  greatly  modified  in  his  later  years,  as  we 
learn  from  the  following  interesting  passage  in  one  of  Mrs. 
E.  C.  Judson's  letters  to  Dr.  Wayland: 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  I  ought  to  try  to  give  Dr.  J.'s 
opinion  of  the  Old  Testament,  for  two  reasons  :  first,  I  do 
not  know  how  much  he  would  have  thought  it  best  to  ex- 
press ;  and  secondly,  I  can  not  be  very  positive  what  his 
opinions  were.  He  was  very  fond  of  speculation,  and  had  a 
habit,  in  private,  of  thinking  aloud,  so  that  although  it  was 
easy  enough  to  learn  his  real  views  by  asking,  a  mere  listener 
would  be  liable  to  mistakes.  My  impression,  drawn  from 
many  a  long  talk,  is  that  he  considered  the  Old  Testament 
as  the  Scriptures  given  to  the  Jews  especially,  and,  as  a 
whole,  applicable  to  them  and  them  only.  He  did  not  like 
the  distinction  commonly  drawn  between  the  moral  and 
ceremonial  law,  and  sometimes  spoke,  with  an  earnestness 
amounting  to  severity,  of  the  constant  use  made  of  the  Ten 
Commandments  by  Christians.  He  thought  the  Old  Testa- 
ment very  important,  as  explanatory  and  corroborative  of 
the  New — as  a  portion  of  the  inspiration  which  came  from 
God,  etc.,  but  binding  on  Christians  only  so  far  as  repeated 
in  the  New  Testament.  He  used  to  speak  of  the  Mosaic  law 
as  fulfilled  in  Christ,  and  so  having  no  further  power  what- 
ever ;  and  to  say  that  we  had  no  right  to  pick  out  this  as 
moral  and  therefore  obligatory,  and  the  other  as  ceremonial, 


412  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

and  so  no  longer  demanding  obedience.  Practically  we  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  Old  Testament  laws. 

"  I  think  he  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  Bible,  as  a  whole, 
without  the  living  teacher,  was  of  but  little  use,  at  least  that 
it  never  ought  to  be  regarded  as  a  substitute.  In  the  power 
of  the  Gospels  to  make  their  way  among  the  heathen  he  had 
more  faith.  He  had  reason  ;  for  a  great  many  Burmans 
owed  their  awakening,  if  not  their  conversion,  to  the  Gospel 
of  Matthew,  though  not  more,  perhaps,  than  to  the  '  View  ' 
and  the  'Golden  Balance.'* 

"I  recollect,  too,  some  remarks  that  he  once  made  in  this 
country  about  lazy  Christians  evading  the  obligation  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  or  do  good  personally,  by  placing  a  Bible 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  would  never  read  it ;  which  com- 
pared very  well  with  my  impression  of  his  views  afterward. 
Perhaps  you  will  recollect  a  remark  in  one  of  the  letters  to 
Mr.  Hough,  expressing  a  fear  '  that  the  Scriptures  will  be  out 
of  the  press  before  there  will  be  any  church  to  read  them.' 

"  In  comparing  what  he  has  written,  what  I  have  heard  him 
say,  and  the  course  he  pursued,  I  am  led  to  the  conclusion 
that,  though  he  regarded  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  as 
much  more  important  while  engaged  in  translating  and  revis- 
ing, than  afterward,  the  very  study,  the  prayerful  as  well  as 
critical  examination  necessary  to  the  accomplishment  of  the 
work,  led  him  by  degrees  to  what  some  might  consider  a  com- 
paratively extravagant  estimate  of  the  New  Testament  — 
especially  the  Gospels.  He  preached  almost  exclusively  from 
the  teachings  of  Christ,  during  his  last  years  ;  and  when  I 
once  introduced  some  lessons  from  the  Old  Testament  into 
my  Bible-classes,  he  compared  it  to  groping  among  shadows, 
when  I  might  just  as  well  have  the  noonday  sun. 

"  He  spoke  also  of  his  favoring  the  distribution  of  so  many 
Bibles,  after  his  revision,   as  the  greatest  mistake  he  ever 

made  ;  though  he  said  he  was  betrayed  into  it  by  Mr. 's 

wonderful  reports  and  his  own  subsequent  impression,  that  all 
Burmah  was  crying  for  books.  He  once  said,  in  relation  to 
a  man  who  had  stumbled  on  the  Old  Testament,  and  aposta- 


Burman  tracts. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


413 


tized  :  '  It  is  the  last  thing  such  a  fellow  as  he  ought  even  to 
have  touched.  I  am  more  than  ever  convinced  that  our 
business  is  to  propagate  the  Gospel,  scatter  the  good  news  of 
salvation,  and  let  everything  else  alone.' 

"With  all  this,  he  has  told  me  that  he  felt,  when  making 
his  translation,  an  almost  overpowering  sense  of  the  awful- 
ness  of  his  work,  and  an  ever-present  conviction  that  every 
word  was  as  from  the  lips  of  God." 

Iq  regard  to  the  merits  of  his  Burman  Bible,  Mr.  Judson's 
estimate  was  very  modest.     He  writes  : 

"  The  bemi  ideal  of  translation,  so  far  as  it  concerns  the  po- 
etical and  prophetical  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  I  profess 
not  to  have  attained.  If  I  live  many  years,  of  which  I  have 
no  expectation,  I  shall  have  to  bestow  much  more  labor  upon 
those  books.  With  the  New  Testament  I  am  rather  better 
satisfied,  and  the  testimony  of  those  acquainted  with  the 
language  is  rather  encouraging.  At  least,  I  hope  that  I  have 
laid  a  good  foundation  for  my  successors  to  build  upon 

"As  to  the  merits  of  the  translation,  I  must  leave  others  to 
judge.  I  can  only  say  that,  though  I  have  seldom  done  any- 
thing to  my  own  satisfaction,  I  am  better  satisfied  with  the 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  than  I  ever  expected  to 
be.  The  language  is,  I  believe,  simple,  plain,  intelligible  ; 
and  I  have  endeavored,  I  hope  successfully,  to  make  every 
sentence  a  faithful  representation  of  the  original.  As  to  the 
Old  Testament,  I  am  not  so  well  satisfied.  The  historical 
books  are,  perhaps,  done  pretty  well  ;  but  the  poetical  and 
prophetical  books  are  doubtless  susceptible  of  much  improve- 
ment, not  merely  in  point  of  style,  but  in  the  rendering  of 
difficult  passages,  about  which  the  most  eminent  scholars  are 
not  yet  agreed." 

How  far  his  own  humble  view  falls  short  of  doing  justice 
to  the  excellence  of  his  monumental  task,  may  be  gathered 
from  the  following  statement  by  the  late  Dr.  Wayland  : 

"  From  the  incidental  allusions  to  it  in  Dr.  Judson's  letters  and  jour- 
nals, we  may  form  some  conception  of  the  labor  which  he  spent  upon 


414  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON. 

this  work.  He  had  enjoyed  the  best  opportunities  which  this  country 
then  afforded  for  the  study  of  interpretation ;  and  his  progress  in  this  de- 
partment of  knowledge  had  awakened  the  highest  expectations  of  his 
future  success  as  a  translator.  He  had  made  himself  familiar  with  the 
Burmese  language  to  a  degree  never  before  attained  by  a  foreigner.  He 
determined,  if  it  were  possible,  to  transfer  the  ideas  of  the  Holy  Script- 
ures, from  their  original  languages,  into  Burman,  in  such  a  manner  that 
his  work  should  need  as  little  revision  as  possible  by  his  successors.  He 
had  an  intense  desire  for  rendering  perfect  every  labor  which  he  under- 
took;  indeed,  he  said  of  himself,  that  one  of  his  failings  was  'a  lust  for 
finishing.'  Hence  he  availed  himself  of  all  the  means  of  information 
which  the  progress  of  biblical  science,  either  in  Germany  or  America, 
placed  within  his  reach.  As  early  as  the  visit  of  Mrs.  Ann  Judson  to 
this  country,  his  demand  for  books  was  large,  and  it  was  all  for  the  very 
best,  the  foundation  books.  I  well  remember  the  pleasure  with  which  I 
stripped  my  library  of  what  I  considered  some  of  its  choicest  treasures, 
to  supply  a  part  of  his  most  urgent  necessities.  Thus  he  continued  until 
he  had  surrounded  himself  with  a  most  valuable  apparatus  for  carrying 
on  his  work  in  the  manner  which  its  importance  deserved. 

"  While,  however,  he  thus  sought  for  aid  from  all  the  sources  of  modern 
and  ancient  learning,  it  is  manifest  from  the  whole  of  his  correspondence 
that  he  used  them  all  with  the  discretion  of  a  master  mind.  It  was  not 
in  his  power  to  substitute  the  working  of  other  intellects  for  the  working 
of  his  own.  He  weighed,  with  critical  caution,  every  recension  of  the 
text.  He  adopted  no  interpretation  unless  either  convinced  of  its  truth, 
or  else  sure  that  it  was  the  nearest  approximation  to  the  truth  that  could 
be  made  in  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge.  In  order  to  reach  this 
result,  no  labor  was  too  great,  and  no  investigation  too  protracted. 
United  with  all  this  that  was  intellectual,  there  was,  in  his  case,  a  mind 
deeply  impressed  with  its  own  fallibility,  and  turning  with  unutterable 
longing  to  the  Holy  Spirit  for  guidance  and  illumination.  The  impor- 
tance of  his  work  to  millions  of  immortal  souls  was  ever  present  to  his 
view.  He  had  been  called  by  the  providence  of  God  to  unfold  to  a  whole 
nation,  in  their  own  language,  the  revelation  of  the  Most  High.  He  con- 
ceived it  to  be  a  momentous  undertaking ;  and  a  heavy  weight  would 
have  rested  on  his  soul  if  a  single  idea  in  the  Scriptures  had  been  ob- 
scurely rendered  in  consequence  of  haste,  impatience,  negligence,  or  cul- 
pable ignorance  on  the  part  of  the  translator. 

"  But  after  he  had  satisfied  himself  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  original, 
a  most  difficult  labor  yet  remained  to  be  accomplished.  It  must  be  now 
transferred  into  a  language  peculiar  and  strongly  idiomatic,  and,  more- 
over, a  language  destitute  of  terms  in  which  to  express  the  elementary 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN. 


4^5 


and  peculiar  ideas  of  the  New  Testament.  To  furnisli  liimself  in  this 
respect  was  the  daily  labor  of  his  life.  He  read  Burmese  prose  and 
poetry  wherever  he  could  find  it.  He  was  always  surrounded  by  Bur- 
mese assistants  and  transcribers.  As  fast  as  his  missionary  brethren  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  language,  he  was  incessantly  calling  upon 
them  for  corrections.  They  cheerfully  aided  him  m  this  respect  to  the 
utmost  of  their  power.  Every  correction  or  emendation  he  examined 
with  the  minutest  care.  Many — 1  think  he  says  most — of  them  he 
adopted  ;  and  none  of  them  were  rejected  without  the  most  careful  and 
diligent  inquiry. 

"  The  result  of  this  able  and  indefatigable  labor  was  such  as  might 
have  been  expected.  Competent  judges  affirm  that  Dr.  Judson's  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures  is  the  most  perfect  work  of  the  kind  that  has  yet 
appeared  in  India.  On  this  subject  it  will  not  be  inappropriate  to  intro- 
duce a  few  sentences  from  the  pen  of  a  gentleman  high  m  rank  in  India, 
himself  a  distinguished  linguist,  and  a  proficient  in  the  Burmese  language  : 

"  'To  Judson  it  was  granted,  not  only  to  found  the  spiritual  Burman 
Church  of  Christ,  but  also  to  give  it  the  entire  Bible  in  its  own  vernacular, 
thus  securing  that  Church's  endurance  and  ultimate  extension  ;  the  instances 
being  few  or  none,  of  that  word,  after  it  has  once  struck  root  in  any  tongue, 
being  ever  wholly  suppressed.  Divine  and  human  nature  alike  forbid  such 
a  result ;  for,  when  once  it  has  become  incorporated  in  a  living  tongue, 
holiness  and  love  join  hands  with  sin  and  weakness  to  perpetuate  that 
word's  life  and  dominion.  We  honor  Wickliffe  and  Luther  for  their  labors 
in  their  respective  mother  tongues  ;  but  what  meed  of  praise  is  due  to  Jud- 
son for  a  translation  of  the  Bible,  perfect  as  a  literary  work,  in  a  language 
so  foreign  to  him  as  the  Burmese  ?  Future  ages,  under  God's  blessing, 
may  decide  this  point,  when  his  own  forebodings,  as  he  stood  and  pondered 
over  the  desolate,  ruinous  scene  at  Pugan,  shall  be  fulfilled. 

"  'One  and  twenty  years  after  his  first  landing  at  Rangoon,  Judson  fin- 
ished his  translation  of  the  whole  Bible  ;  but,  not  satisfied  with  this  first  ver- 
sion, six  more  years  were  devoted  to  a  revision  of  this  great  work  ;  and  on 
the  24th  of  October,  1840,  the  last  sheet  of  the  new  edition  was  printed  off. 
The  revision  cost  him  more  time  and  labor  than  the  first  translation  ;  for 
what  he  wrote  in  1823  remained  the  object  of  his  soul  :  "  I  never  read  a 
chapter  without  pencil  in  hand,  and  Griesbach  and  Parkhurst  at  my  elbow  ; 
and  it  will  be  an  object  to  me  through  life  to  bring  the  translation  to  such 
a  state  that  it  may  be  a  standard  work."  The  best  judges  pronounce  it  to 
be  all  that  he  aimed  at  making  it,  and  also,  what  with  him  never  was  an 
object,  an  imperishable  monument  of  the  man's  genius.  We  may  venture 
to  hazard  the  opinion  that  as  Lather's  Bible  is  now  in  the  hands  of  Protest- 
ant Germany,  so,  three  centuries  hence,  Judson's  Bible  will  be  the  Bible  of 
the  Christian  churches  of  Burmah.' 


41 6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  in  November,  1852,  by  a 
missionary  in  Burmah,  expresses  very  fully  the  estimation  in  which  this 
version  is  held  by  those  who  are  daily  in  the  habit  of  using  it,  and  of 
commending  it  to  the  natives  : 

"  'The  translation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  the  Burman  language  by 
the  late  Dr.  Judson  is  admitted  to  be  the  best  translation  in  India  ;  that  is, 
the  translation  has  given  more  satisfaction  to  his  contemporaries  and  suc- 
cessors than  any  translation  of  the  Bible  into  any  other  Eastern  language 
has  done  to  associate  missionaries  in  any  other  parts  of  India.  It  is  free 
from  all  obscurity  to  the  Burmese  mind.  It  is  read  and  understood  per- 
fectly. Its  style  and  diction  are  as  choice  and  elegant  as  the  language  it- 
self, peculiarly  honorific,  would  afford,  and  conveys,  doubtless,  the  mind  of 
the  Spirit  as  perfectly  as  can  be.' 

"Judson  might  well  have  adopted  the  words  of  the  blessed  Eliot,  the 
apostle  to  the  Indian  tribes,  when  he  had  finished  his  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  their  dialect — '  Prayer  and  pains,  with  the  blessing  of 
God,  can  accomplish  anything.'  " 

Having  diverged  in  order  to  give  the  reader  a  general 
idea  of  this  work  of  translating  the  Bible  into  Burmese,  we 
again  take  up  the  thread  of  Mr.  Judson's  life  at  the  point 
where  he  has  just  finished  the  first  rough  draft  in  1834." 
He  entered  with  ardor  upon  the  work  of  revision  without 
neglecting,  however,  his  favorite  employments  of  teaching 
and  preaching.  A  letter  from  Mrs.  Judson  to  her  husband's 
mother  shows  his  ceaseless,  every-day  activity  : 

"  Mr.  Judson  preaches  every  Lord's  day  to  a  crowded  as- 
sembly, and  every  evening  to  a  congregation  averaging  thirty. 
We  find  our  old  chapel  too  small,  and  are  about  having  a 
new  one  erected.  The  native  assistants  go  about  the  town 
every  day  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  Mr.  Judson  holds  a 
meeting  with  them  every  morning  before  breakfast,  when  he 
listens  to  their  reports,  prays  with  them,  gives  them  instruc- 
tion, etc.  Besides  this,  the  care  of  the  Burman  Church, 
ninety-nine  in  number,  devolves  upon  him,  as  does  all  the  re- 
vision, superintendence  of  the  press,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  He  ha5 
lately  baptized  eighteen  persons — seven  English  soldiers,  five 
Indo-Britons,  three  Burmans,  one  Hindoo,  one  Arracanese, 


*  See  page  405. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


417 


and  one  Mahometan.  The  latter  is  faithful  old  Koo-cliil, 
the  Hindoo  cook  mentioned  in  Mrs.  Judson's  '  Narrative.' 
The  poor  old  man  resisted  long  and  stubbornly  the  truth, 
and  we  were  sometimes  almost  discouraged  about  him.  But 
divine  grace  was  too  mighty  for  him,  and  on  last  Lord's  day 
we  saw  him  bow  beneath  the  Salwen's  yielding  wave,  and 
rise,  I  trust,  to  '  newness  of  life.'  Two  others  have  applied 
for  baptism,  and  there  are  many  hopeful  inquirers  both 
among  European  and  natives." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Malcolm,  who  visited  Burmah  in  1836, 
gives  a  glinnpse  of  the  interior  of  Mr.  Judson's  zayat : 

"Our  first  Sabbath  in  this  dark  land  was,  of  course,  full  of  interest. 
In  the  morning  we  worshipped  with  the  Burman  congregation  in  the 
zayat.  About  seventy  were  present,  nearly  all  Christians.  Seldom  have 
I  seen  so  attentive  and  devout  an  audience.  They  sat,  of  course,  on 
the  floor,  where  mats,  made  of  bamboo,  were  spread  for  their  accommo- 
dation, a  large  bamboo,  about  eighteen  inches  from  the  floor,  serving  as 
a  rest  to  the  back.  In  prayer  the  Americans  all  knelt,  and  the  rest 
leaned  forward  on  their  elbows,  puttmg  their  palms  together,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  petition,  ail  responded  an  audible  Amen.  Mr.  J.  preached 
with  much  apparent  earnestness,  and  all  listened  with  rapt  attention. 
Several  inquirers  were  present,  some  of  whom  applied  for  baptism." 

The  same  observant  traveller  has  drawn  a  word-picture  of- 
Mr.  Judson's  personal  appearance  at  this  time : 

"  As  my  eye  rested  on  this  loved  little  company,  it  was  sweet  to  con- 
template the  venerable  founder  of  the  mission,  sitting  there  to  rejoice  in 
the  growth  of  the  cause  he  had  so  assiduously  and  painfully  sustained. 
His  labors  and  sufferings  for  years;  his  mastery  of  the  language;  his 
translation  of  the  whole  Word  of  God  ;  and  his  being  permitted  now  to 
be  the  pastor  of  a  church  containing  over  a  hundred  natives,  make  him 
the  most  interesting  missionary  now  alive.  What  a  mercy  that  he  yet 
lives  to  devote  to  his  people  his  enlarged  powers  of  doing  good  !  And 
we  may  hope  he  will  very  long  be  spared.  His  age  is  but  forty-seven  ; 
his  eye  is  not  dim  ;  not  a  gray  hair  shows  itself  among  his  full  auburn 
locks ;  his  moderate-sized  person  seems  full  of  vigor  ;  he  walks  almost 
every  evening  a  mile  or  two  at  a  quick  pace ;  lives  with  entire  temper- 
ance and  regularity,  and  enjoys,  in  general,  steadfast  health.  May  a 
gracious  God  continue  to  make  him  a  blessing  more  and  more." 
27 


41 S  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

From  this  point  on,  our  narrative  naturally  assumes  a 
more  domestic  character  ;  and  we  are  permitted  to  see  Mr. 
Judson's  deep  tenderness  as  a  husband  and  a  father.  Some 
of  the  greatest  objects  of  his  life  having  been  achieved,  and 
his  health  beginning  to  decline,  his  restless  spirit  turned  in- 
stinctively to  family  life  for  repose.  On  October  31,  1835, 
his  heart  was  cheered  by  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  whose 
name,  Abby  Ann,*  associates  her  with  his  only  sister,  from 
whom  he  had  parted  so  many  years  before,  and  also  with 
her  whom  he  left  sleeping  beneath  the  hopia-tree.  While 
writing  to  his  mother  and  sister,  he  mentions  the  birth  of 
his  child  and  betrays  with  what  delight  the  care-wearied 
man,  after  his  prolonged  solitude,  turned  for  rest  to  the 
amenities  of  home  : 

"Maulmain,  November  i,  1835. 

"  Since  I  have  attained,  in  some  measure,  the  great  objects 
for  which  I  came  out  to  the  East,  and  do  not  find  it  necessary 
to  be  so  exclusively  and  severely  engrossed  in  missionary 
labors  as  I  have  been  for  a  long  course  of  years,  my  thoughts 
and  affections  revert  more  frequently,  of  late,  to  the  dear 
home  where  I  was  born  and  brought  up  ;  and  now  especially, 
after  having  been  childless  many  years,  the  birth  of  a  daughter, 
and  the  revival  of  parental  feelings,  remind  me  afresh  of  the 
love  with  which  my  dear  mother  watched  over  my  infancy, 
and  of  all  the  kindness  with  which  she  led  me  up  from  youth 
to  man.  And  then  I  think  of  my  earliest  playmate,  my  dear 
sister,  and  delight  to  retrace  the  thousand  incidents  which 
marked  our  youthful  intercourse,  and  which  still  stand,  in 
the  vista  of  memory,  tokens  of  reciprocated  brotherly  and 
sisterly  affection.  Surely,  I  should  have  to  call  myself  a 
most  ungrateful  son  and  brother,  had  I  abandoned  you  for- 
ever in  this  world,  as  I  have  done,  for  any  other  cause  than 
that  of  the  kingdom  of  the  glorious  Redeemer. 

"  It  is  a  great  comfort,  however,  that,  though  separated  in 
this  world,  we  are  all  interested  in  the  covenant  love  of  that 
Redeemer,  and  can  therefore  hope  that  we  shaU  spend  our 


*  Now  the  principal  of  a  ladies'  school  in  Minneapolis. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


419 


eternity  together,  in  His  blissful  presence.  It  is  my  particu- 
lar object,  in  writing  at  the  present  time,  to  engage  your 
prayers  for  our  little  Abigail,  that  she  may  become  early  in- 
terested in  the  same  divine  love,  and  be  one  of  our  happy 
number  in  the  bright  world  above.  Her  mother  and  myself 
both  hope  that  the  little  circumstance  of  her  being  your 
namesake  will  tend  to  bring  her  more  frequently  to  your  re- 
membrance at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  secure  your  prayers 
in  her  behalf. 

"I  alluded  above  to  the  attainment  of  the  great  objects  of 
my  missionary  undertaking.  I  used  to  think,  when  first  con- 
templating a  missionary  life,  that,  if  I  should  live  to  see  the 
Bible  translated  and  printed  in  some  new  language,  and  a 
church  of  one  hundred  members  raised  up  on  heathen  ground, 
I  should  anticipate  death  with  the  peaceful  feelings  of  old 
Simeon.  The  Bible  in  Burmese  will,  I  expect,  be  out  of  the 
press  by  the  end  of  this  year  ;  and — not  to  speak  of  several 
hundred  Burmans  and  Karens  baptized  at  different  stations — 
the  Burmese  church  in  Maulmain,  of  which  I  am  pastor,  con- 
tains ninety-nine  native  members,  and  there  will  doubtless 
be  several  more  received  before  the  end  of  the  year.  Unite 
with  me,  my  dear  mother  and  sister,  in  gratitude  to  God, 
that  He  has  preserved  me  so  long,  and,  notwithstanding  my 
entire  unworthiness,  has  made  me  instrumental  of  a  little 
good." 

In  a  letter  to  his  step-son,  who  had  by  this  time  arrived  in 
America,  he  alludes  to  the  infant  Abigail,  and  encloses  a 
child's  prayer  in  verse  : 

"  Maulmain,  August  23,  1836. 

"  I  send  you  a  little  idol,  that  you  may  not  forget  what 
sort  of  gods  they  worship  in  this  country,  and  your  mother  is 
sending  you  another.  But,  what  is  better,  I  send  you  a  little 
book,  called  the  *  Only  Son,'  which  I  took  so  much  pleasure 
in  reading  that  I  want  to  have  you  read  it  through  two  or 
three  times.  I  am  afraid  you  will  forget  how  much  youi 
mother  loves  you.  This  book  will  help  you  to  remember.  I 
am  not  much  afraid  that  you  will  ever  become  like   poor 


420  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON JF  AM  JUDSON: 

Jonah,  who:  e  history  you  will  find  in  the  book.  But  when 
any  companions  shall  attempt  to  persuade  you  to  join  them 
in  doing  some  bad  thing,  remember  poor  Jonah,  and  remem- 
ber his  poor  mother,  and  remember  how  dreadfully  your  own 
mother  would  suffer,  and  how  she  would  go  down  to  the 
grave  in  sorrow,  if  you  should  become  a  bad  boy.  You  can 
not  tell  how  much  she  loves  you.  She  talks  about  you  every 
day  ;  and  we  never  pray  together  without  praying  for  you. 
And  though  it  can  not  be  that  I  should  love  you  as  much  as 
your  mother  does,  yet  I  love  you  very  much,  my  dear  George. 
And  I  am  always  sorry  that  I  was  so  closely  engaged  in  study, 
uhat  I  was  able  to  spend  but  very  little  time  with  you,  after 
we  came  up  from  Tavoy.  When  I  think  of  that  last  pleasant, 
sad  afternoon  I  carried  you  down  to  Amherst,  and  left  you 
on  board  the  Cashmere,  I  love  you  very  much,  and  want  to 
see  you  again.  Perhaps  we  shall  live  to  see  you  come  out  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We  some- 
times pray  that,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  it  may  be  so. 

"  Your  little  sister  Abigail  is  a  sweet,  fat  baby.  You  would 
love  her  very  much  if  you  were  here.  Pray  for  her,  that  she 
may  live,  and  may  become  a  child  of  God." 

Prayer  for  Little  George. 
"Remember,  Lord,  my  mother  dear, 
Who  lives  in  distant  heathen  land  ; 
By  day  and  night  wilt  Thou  be  near, 
To  guard  her  with  Thy  powerful  hand. 

"  And  since  another  babe  has  come, 

To  fill  the  place  which  once  was  mine 
In  mother's  arms  to  find  a  home. 
And  soft  on  mother's  breast  recline, 

"  O,  listen  to  me  from  Thy  throne. 
And  let  a  brother's  prayer  prevail, 
To  draw  the  choicest  blessings  down 
On  little  sister  Abigail." 

When  his  son,  Adoniram  Brown  Judson,*  born  April  7, 
1837,  was  almost  a  year  old,  Mr.  Judson  wrote  to  his  own 

*  Now  a  physician  in  New  York  City. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMA  IN.  4  2 1 

mother  and  sister  a  letter  in  which,  with  playful  tenderness, 
he  alludes  to  both  his  children  : 

"  Maulmain,  March  16,  1838. 

"  I  remember  you  in  my  prayers  every  day,  and  hope  that 
you  do  not  forget  me,  my  wife,  and  dear  little  Abby  and 
Adoniram.  Yours  of  October  15,  1837,  I  received  on  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  in  the  Rosabella,  the  19th  of 
last  month.  They  gave  me  an  account  of  their  visit  to 
Plymouth,  and  their  interview  with  you  both,  and  how  you 
looked  and  what  you  said,  and  he  remembered  the  exhorta- 
tion to  *  preach  the  three  R's.'  He  remarked,  that  my  mother 
was  the  very  picture  of  the  venerable,  and  she  observed  that 
everything  about  the  house  was  kept  in  remarkably  nice 
order.  And  they  both  thought  that,  from  your  appearance 
and  remarks,  you  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  much  religious 
feeling.  How  I  wish  I  could  see  you  once  more  !  I  send 
you  a  copy  of  the  Burman  New  Testament,  which  may  be 
a  gratifying  curiosity,  if  nothing  more. 

"  We  have  just  carried  Adoniram  through  the  small-pox 
by  inoculation.  He  had  it  very  lightly,  and  is  now  quite  re- 
covered. He  is  one  of  the  prettiest,  brightest  children  you 
ever  saw.  His  mother  says  he  resembles  his  uncle  Elnathan. 
Abby  is  growing  fast.  She  runs  about,  and  talks  Burman 
quite  fluently,  but  no  English.  I  am  not  troubled  about  her 
not  getting  English  at  present,  for  we  shall  have  to  send  her 
home  in  a  few  years,  and  then  she  will  get  it  of  course.  She 
attends  family  and  public  worship  with  us,  and  has  learned 
to  sit  still  and  behave  herself.  But  Fen,  or  Pwen,  as  the  na- 
tives call  him,  when  he  is  brought  into  the  chapel,  and  sees 
me  in  my  place,  has  the  impudence  to  roar  out  Bah  (as  the 
Burmans  call  father),  with  such  a  stentorian  voice,  that  his 
nurse  is  obliged  to  carry  him  out  again. 

"  Many  thanks,  dear  sister,  for  your  last  present  of  fifty 
dollars,  which  I  have  received.  I  am  obliged  to  look  after 
the  rupees  a  little  more  carefully  now  than  when  I  had  no 
little  ones  to  provide  for. 

"I  suppose  you  take  the  Magazine ;  so  I  do  not  introduce 
missionary  affairs  into  my  private  letters." 


42  2  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

But  Mr.  Judson's  iron  purposes  were  not  melted  in  the 
ease  and  quiet  of  home  Hfe.  He  did  not  cease  his  efforts 
to  save  his  poor  Burmans.  A  few  weeks  after  the  birth  of 
his  son,  he  wrote  : 

"  My  days  are  commonly  spent  in  the  following  manner  : 
the  morning  in  reading  Burman  ;  the  forenoon  in  a  public 
zayat  with  some  assistant,  preaching  to  those  who  call  ;  the 
afternoon  in  preparing  or  revising  something  for  the  press, 
correcting  proof-sheets,  etc. ;  the  evening  in  conducting  wor- 
ship in  the  native  chapel,  and  conversing  with  the  assistants 
or  other  native  Christians  or  inquirers." 

With  what  genuine  satisfaction  must  such  a  worker  have 
looked  back  upon  his  work  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  in 
Burmah ! 

"  July  20,  1S38. 

"I  have  lately,"  he  writes,  "had  the  happiness  of  baptizing 
the  first  Toung-thoo  that  ever  became  a  Christian.  I  hope 
he  will  be  the  first-fruits  of  a  plentiful  harv^est.  God  has 
given  me  the  privilege  and  happiness  of  witnessing  and  con- 
tributing a  little,  I  trust,  to  the  conversion  of  the  first  Bur- 
mese convert,  the  first  Peguan,  the  first  Karen,  and  the  first 
Toung-thoo.  Three  of  them  I  baptized.  The  Karen  was 
approved  for  baptism  ;  but  just  then,  brother  Boardman  re- 
moving to  Tavoy,  I  sent  the  Karen  with  him,  and  he  was 
baptized  there. 

"  There  are  now  above  a  thousand  converts  from  heathen- 
ism, formed  into  various  churches  throughout  the  country. 
And  I  trust  that  the  good  work  will  go  on,  until  every  vestige 
of  idolatry  shall  be  effaced,  and  millennial  glor}'  shall  bless 
the  whole  land.  The  thirteenth  day  of  this  month  finished 
a  quarter  of  a  century  that  I  have  spent  in  Burmah  ;  and  on 
the  eighth  of  next  month,  if  I  live,  I  shall  complete  the  fiftieth 
year  of  my  life.  And  I  see  that  mother,  if  living,  will  enter 
on  her  eightieth  year  next  December.  May  we  all  meet  in 
heaven." 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  life,  and 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


423 


of  his  twenty-fifth  year  in  Burmah,  it  is  not  strange  that 
even  his  wiry  physique  should  begin  to  give  way  beneath 
the  strain.  Disease  fastened  first  upon»  his  lungs,  entailing 
loss  of  voice  and  intense  pain.  Allusions  in  his  letters  at 
this  time  indicate  his  declining  health  : 

"  On  Passage  from  Maulmain  to  Calcutta,  March  3,  1839. 

"  I  had  been  subject  to  a  cough  several  months,  and  some 
kind  of  inflammation  of  the  throat  and  lungs,  which,  for  a 
time,  almost  deprived  me  of  the  use  of  my  voice  ;  and  lest 
the  complaint  should  become  confirmed  consumption,  I  was 

advised  to  try  a  voyage  to  sea March  11.     For  two 

days  I  have  had  a  return  of  soreness,  accompanied  with  some 
cough.  I  fear  that  the  atmosphere  of  this  place,  loaded  with 
dust  and  smoke,  will  bring  on  a  relapse. 

"  My  last  informed  you  that  I  was  on  a  passage  to  Cal- 
cutta for  my  health,  by  the  direction  of  a  physician  and  the 
recommendation  of  the  brethren  at  the  station.  I  derived 
great  benefit  from  the  voyage  ;  and  my  health  continued 
generally  to  improve  during  my  stay  in  Calcutta  of  three 
weeks,  and  on  the  return  voyage,  until  the  Sunday  preceding 
my  arrival  here,  when  I  made  trial  of  my  voice,  by  attempt- 
ing to  conduct  Burmese  worship  in  my  cabin,  with  the  only 
native  convert  on  board.  And  though  the  effort  was  very 
small,  I  was  dismayed  to  find,  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon, 
the  old  soreness  of  lungs  and  tendency  to  cough  come  on  ; 
and  for  three  days  I  was  rather  worse  than  I  had  been  for 
six  weeks.  Being  at  sea,  however,  I  partially  recovered  from 
the  relapse  before  I  reached  home,  but  am  not  so  well  as  at 
my  last  date.  It  is  a  great  mercy  that  I  am  able  to  use  my 
voice  in  common  conversation  without  much  difficulty  ;  but 
when  I  shall  be  able  to  preach  again  I  know  not.  The  ap- 
proaching rainy  season  will  probably  decide  whether  my 
complaint  is  to  return  with  violence,  or  whether  I  am  to 
have  a  further  lease  of  life.  I  am  rather  desirous  of  living, 
for  the  sake  of  the  work  and  of  my  family  ;  but  He  who  ap- 
points all  our  times,  and  the  bounds  of  our  habitation,  does 
all  things  well  ;  and  we  ought  not  to  desire  to  pass  the  ap- 
pointed limits My  throat  complaint,  which  seemed  to 


424  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

be  nearly  removed  by  a  voyage  to  Calcutta,  has  returned 
with  fresh  violence  since  the  commencement  of  the  rains, 
three  days  ago.  Some  advise  me  to  take  another  voyage,  as 
before  ;  but  I  have  no  heart  to  do  so,  thinking  that  the  ben- 
efit will  be  but  temporary.  Others  suggest  a  voyage  home 
to  America,  and  a  residence  there  for  a  year  or  two  ;  but  to 
this  course  1  have  strong  objections.  There  are  so  many  mis- 
sionaries going  home  for  their  health,  or  for  some  other  cause, 
that  I  should  be  very  unwilling  to  do  so,  unless  my  brethren 
and  the  Board  thought  it  a  case  of  absolute  necessity.  I 
should  be  of  no  use  to  the  cause  at  home,  not  being  able  to 
use  my  voice.  And  lastly,  I  am  in  my  fifty-first  year.  I 
have  lived  long  enough.  I  have  lived  to  see  accomplished 
the  particular  objects  on  which  I  set  my  heart  when  I  com- 
menced a  missionary  life.  And  why  should  I  wish  to  live 
longer  ?  I  am  unable  to  preach  ;  and  since  the  last  relapse, 
the  irritation  of  my  throat  is  so  very  troublesome  that  I  can 
not  converse  but  with  difficulty,  or  even  sit  at  the  table,  as  I 
have  done  to-day,  and  prepare  copy  for  the  press.  My  com- 
plaint, it  is  said,  is  very  much  like  that  of  which  the  late 
Mrs.  Osgood  died — not  common  pulmonary  consumption, 
but  something  in  the  throat,  which  puzzled  even  her  attend- 
ing physicians,  one  of  whom  maintained,  till  near  her  death, 
that  she  was  not  in  a  consumption,  and  would  recover. 

"  My  present  expectation  is,  to  use  medicinal  palliatives, 
and  endeavor  to  keep  along  for  a  few  months,  until  I  see  the 
present  edition  of  the  Bible  completed,  and  then  be  ready  to 
rest  from  my  labors.  But  the  very  thought  brings  joy  to  my 
soul.  For,  though  I  am  a  poor,  poor  sinner,  and  know  that 
I  have  never  done  a  single  action  which  can  claim  the  least 
merit  or  praise,  glory  is  before  me.  interminable  glory, 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  the  Lamb  for  sinners  slain. 
But  I  shrink  back  again,  when  I  think  of  my  dear  wife  and 
darling  children,  who  have  wound  round  my  once  widowed, 
bereaved  heart,  and  would  fain  draw  me  down  from  heaven 
and  glory.  And  then  I  think,  also,  of  the  world  of  work  be- 
fore me.  But  the  sufficient  answer  to  all  is,  The  Lord  will 
provide." 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN.  425 

The  voyage  to  which  allusion  is  made  in  the  foregoing 
extracts  was  begun  February  19,  1839  5  ^^  was  thought  that 
a  trip  to  Calcutta  would  restore  his  health.  After  an  ab- 
sence of  nearly  two  months,  during  which  he  had  a  delightful 
visit  with  the  English  Baptists  of  Calcutta  and  Serampore, 
he  returned  to  Maulmain,  his  health  somewhat  improved. 
The  sadness  of  this  separation  from  the  faithful  wife  and 
mother,  whom  he  left  behind  at  Maulmain,  was  intensified 
by  the  apprehension  that  he  might  die  on  the  voyage.  Mrs. 
Judson  writes  : 

"As  soon  as  you  left  the  house,  I  ran  to  your  dressing- 
room,  and  watched  you  from  the  window.  But  you  did  not 
look  up — oh,  how  I  wished  you  would  !  Then  I  hastened  to 
the  back  veranda,  and  caught  one  last  glimpse  of  you 
through  the  trees  ;  .  .  .  .  and  I  gave  vent  to  my  feelings  in 
a  flood  of  tears. 

"  Then  the  children  came  around  me,  asking  to  go  to 
the  wharf,  and  the  women  looked  their  wishes  ;  and  though  I 
said  *  no '  to  the  little  ones,  I  could  not  deny  the  others. 
After  they  were  gone,  I  took  all  three  of  our  darlings  into 
your  own  little  room,  told  them  why  you  had  gone  away,  and 
asked  Abby  Ann  and  Adoniram  if  they  wished  me  to  ask 
God  to  take  care  of  papa,  while  he  was  gone.  They  said 
'  yes ';  and  so  I  put  Elnathan  down  on  the  floor  to  play,  and, 
kneeling  beside  the  other  two,  committed  you  and  ourselves 

to  the  care  of  our  heavenly  Father How  sweet  is  the 

thought  that,  when  you  go  into  the  presence  of  God,  you 
always  pray  for  me,  and  for  our  dear  children.  We  have 
family  worship  mornings  in  the  sleeping-room.  Abby  and 
Pwen*  kneel,  one  on  each  side  of  me,  and  after  I  have  read 
and  prayed  I  teach  them  the  Lord's  prayer.  I  make  them 
repeat  it  distinctly,  only  two  or  three  words  at  a  time. 
They  both  sit  at  the  table  with  me,  Pwen  occupying  his 
beloved  father's  place.  But  these  things  do  not  beguile  my 
loneliness.  Oh,  when  shall  I  see  you  again,  here,  in  youi 
old  seat  ? 


*  Pwen,  a  flower.     A  name  g^iven  to  Adoniram  by  the  natives. 


426  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  Your  little  daughter  and  I  have  been  praying  for  you 
this  evening.  She  is  now  in  bed,  and  I  am  sitting  by  my 
study-table,  where  I  spend  all  my  time  after  evening  wor- 
ship, except  what  is  devoted  to  the  children.  I  wish,  my 
love,  that  you  would  pray  for  one  object  in  particular — that 
I   may   be  assisted    in  communicating   divine   truth  to   the 

minds  of  these  little  immortals At  times  the  sweet 

hope  that  you  will  soon  return,  restored  to  perfect  health, 
buoys  up  my  spirit ;  but  perhaps  you  will  find  it  necessary 
to  go  farther,  a  necessity  from  which  I  can  not  but  shrink 
with  doubt  and  dread  ;  or  you  may  come  back  only  to  die 
with  me.  This  last  agonizing  thought  crushes  me  down  in 
overwhelming  sorrow.  I  hope  I  do  not  feel  unwilling  that 
our  heavenly  Father  should  do  as  He  thinks  best  with  us  ; 
but  my  heart  shrinks  from  the  prospect  of  living  in  this  sin- 
ful, dark,  friendless  world  without  you.  But  I  feel  that  I 
do  wrong  to  anticipate  sorrows.  God  has  promised  strength 
ovXy  ior  to-day  J  and,  in  infinite  mercy.  He  shuts  the  future 
from  our  view.  I  know  that  there  is  small  ground  for  hope  ; 
few  ever  recover  from  your  disease  ;  but  it  may  be  that  God 
will  restore  you  to  health,  for  the  sake  of  His  suffering  cause. 
/  do  not  deserve  it ;  and  I  have  often  wondered  that  I  should 
have  been  so  singularly  blessed  as  to  possess  that  heart, 
which  is  far  more  precious  than  all  the  world  beside.  But 
the  most  satisfactory  view  of  our  condition  is  to  look  away 
to  that  blissful  world,  where  separations  are  unknown. 
There,  my  beloved  Judson,  we  shall  surely  meet  each  other  ; 
and  we  shall  also  meet  those  loved  ones  who  have  gone  be- 
fore us  to  that  haven  of  rest. 

"After  worship  at  the  chapel,  several  of  the  native  Chris- 
tians came  in  ;  and  we  all  mingled  our  tears  together.  They 
each  in  turn  committed  their  absent  pastor  (father,  they 
called  you)  to  God,  and  prayed  for  your  restoration  to  health, 
and  speedy  return  to  us,  with  a  fervor  which  I  felt  at  the 
time  must  prevail." 


LIFE  IN  MA  U LAI  A  IN. 


427 


VERSES  WRITTEN  BY  MR.  JUDSON  FOR  HIS  CHILDREN  DURING  THIS  VOYAGE. 
Prayer  to  Jesus. 
"  Dear  Jesus,  hear  me  when  I  pray, 
And  take  this  naughty  heart  away  ; 
Teach  me  to  love  Thee,  gracious  Lord, 
And  learn  to  read  Thy  holy  word." 

Another. 
"Come,  dearest  Saviour,  take  my  heart, 
And  let  me  ne'er  from  Thee  depart ; 
From  every  evil  set  me  free, 
And  all  the  glory  be  to  Thee." 

For  Abby  Ann. 
"  Look  down  on  little  brother  dear. 
Safe  may  he  sleep  while  Thou  art  near. 
Preserve  his  life  to  know  Thy  love. 
And  dwell  at  last  in  heaven  above." 

A  Morning  Prayer. 
"  My  waking  thoughts  I  raise  to  Thee, 
Who  through  the  night  hast  guarded  me  ; 
Keep  me  this  day  from  every  ill, 
And  help  me,  Lord,  to  do  Thy  will." 

Duty  to  Otlm-s. 
"  Love  others  as  you  love  yourself  ; 
And  as  you  would  that  they 
Should  do  to  you,  do  you  to  them. 
That  is  the  golden  way." 

TAe  Dying  Child. 
"  '  O,  grant  that  Christ  and  heaven  be  mine  : 
What  can  I  want  beside  ? 
Hark  !  hear  ye  not  that  voice  divine  ? 

"  My  daughter,  Christ  and  heaven  are  thine  !  " 
And  see  !  the  glorious  portals  shine  ! ' 
She  sweetly  sang,  and  died." 

In  a  letter  written  to  his  mother  and  sister  after  his  return 
to  Maulmain,  he  betrays  the  fact  that  he  was  still  far  from 
perfect  convalescence : 


428  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDEON. 

"  Mauljiain,  August  9,  1839. 

"  On  this  day  I  enter  my  fifty-second  year.  Fifty-one 
years  have  rolled  over  my  head,  twenty-six  of  which  have 
been  spent  in  this  heathen  land.  I  believe  I  write  you  more 
frequently  than  I  used  to.  I  am  not  so  much  driven  in  my 
studies  as  formerly,  and  the  weakness  and  irritability  of  my 
lungs,  though  much  better,  do  not  yet  suffer  me  to  use  my 
voice  in  public.  Add  to  which  that  I  have  a  family  of  young 
children  growing  up  around  me,  so  that  my  mind  has  be- 
come more  domesticated,  and  returns  with  more  readiness 
and  frequency  to  the  scenes  of  my  own  childhood.  Twenty- 
seven  years  and  a  half  have  passed  since  we  parted  in 
Plymouth  and  in  Boston,  during  which  time  my  father  and 
brother,  and  his  family,  and  my  first  family,  have  all  been 
swept  away  by  death.  You  two  only  remain,  and  my  present 
family,  whom  you  have  never  seen.  I  sometimes  feel  con- 
cerned for  my  three  little  children,  from  the  fact  that  I  was 
advanced  in  life  when  they  were  born,  and  can  not,  there- 
fore, expect  to  live  to  see  them  grown  up  and  happily  settled 
before  I  shall  be  removed.  Even  if  my  present  complaint 
should  not  terminate  in  consumption,  I  can  hardly  expect  to 
hold  out  many  more  years  in  this  climate  ;  so  that  I  have 
the  prospect  of  leaving  them  fatherless  in  the  very  bloom 
of  youth,  when  they  will  especially  need  a  father's  support 
and  care.  However,  I  endeavor  daily  to  commend  them  to 
God,  and  trust  that,  when  I  come  to  die,  I  shall  be  enabled 
to  avail  myself  of  the  command  and  promise,  'Leave  thy 
fatherless  children  ;  I  will  preserve  them  alive ;  and  let  thy 
widows  trust  in  me'  (Jer.  xlix.  11). 

"Abby  Ann  has  begun  to  go  to  school  with  Julia  Osgood 
to  Mrs.  Simons,  who,  with  her  husband,  is  here  from  Ran- 
goon, expecting  a  war  with  Burmah,  and  has  set  up  an  Eng- 
lish school.  Abby  attends  every  forenoon,  and  just  begins 
to  read  words  of  one  syllable.  Adoniram  says,  '  I  want  go 
school';  but  he  stays  at  home,  and  deports  himself  like  a 
little  man.  Elnathan  has  been  very  ill.  We  thought  we 
should  lose  him  ;  but  he  is  now  better,  and  begins  to  be 
bright  and  playful. 


LIFE  IN  AIA  ULMALV. 


429 


"  I  do  wish  you  could  call  in  and  make  us  a  visit.  We 
would  try  to  make  you  so  comfortable  that  you  would  not 
wish  to  return  to  old  Plymouth.  However,  it  is  of  little  con- 
sequence where  we  spend  the  short  remnant  of  life.  Heaven 
is  before  us.  Let  us  pray  much,  and  live  devoted  to  God, 
and  we  shall  soon  be  united  in  that  happy  world  where  there 
is  no  dividing  sea. 

"  Can't  you  give  me  some  account  of  your  house,  and 
furniture,  and  neighbors,  and  street,  so  that  I  can  form  a 
little  idea  how  you  are  situated  ?  I  have  tried  to  glean  some 
particulars  from  the  Stevenses  ;  but  transient  passers  can 
not  be  expected  to  give  much  satisfactory  information.  And 
when  you  write,  leave  a  good  place  for  the  wafer  of  your 
letter,  as  you  see  I  do  ;  otherwise  there  are  sometimes  words 
which  I  can  not  make  out.  I  shall  be  glad  when  any  of  the 
little  ones  shall  be  able  to  conjure  out  a  scrawl  to  their 
grandmother  and  aunt.  Pray  for  them,  that  they  may  be 
early  converted  to  God.  Perhaps  mother  will  add  a  line 
with  her  own  hand  when  you  write.  Dear  mother,  I  wish  I 
could  make  you  some  return  for  all  the  trouble  I  once  gave 
you.  Yours  ever,  A.  Judson." 

The  native  Christians  at  Maulmain  were  glad  enough,  after 
an  interval  of  ten  months,  to  hear  again  the  voice  of  their 
beloved  teacher,  though  he  still  spoke  in  feeble  accents. 

Mrs.  Judson  writes  to  his  mother: 

"  I  have  during  the  past  year  suffered  deep  anxiety  and 
gloomy  foreboding  on  account  of  my  dear  husband's  health. 
But  God  has  been  merciful  beyond  our  fears,  and  so  far 
restored  him  that  he  was  able  to  preach  last  Lord's  day,  the 
first  time  for  about  ten  months.  His  discourse  was  short, 
and  he  spoke  low.  I  felt  exceedingly  anxious  respecting  his 
making  the  attempt,  but  he  has  experienced  no  ill  effects 
from  it  as  yet.  How  pleased  you  would  have  been  to  see 
the  joy  beaming  from  the  countenances  of  the  dear  native 
Christians  as  they  saw  their  beloved  and  revered  pastor 
once  more  take  the  desk  !  He  applies  himself  very  closely 
to  study,  though  he  is  still  far  from  well.     He  takes  cold 


430  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

very  easily,  and  still  feels  a  slight  uneasiness  in  the  chest 
and  left  side.  But  he  is  so  much  better  than  he  was,  that  I 
am  comforted  with  the  hope  that  he  will  soon  be  entirely 
restored  to  health." 

In  a  letter  to  a  fellow-missionary  he  refers  playfully  to  the 
birth  of  another  son  at  the  close  of  1839.  "  Master  Henry* 
came  into  notice  the  last  day  of  the  year ;  but  there  was  no 
earthquake  or  anything,"  and  he  alludes  to  the  infant  Henry 
in  a  letter  of  affectionate  counsel  to  George,  who  was  now 
twelve  years  old : 

"  Your  letter  of  January  9  gave  us  great  pleasure,  as  it 
furnished  proof  of  your  proficiency  in  learning  and  of  affec- 
tionate remembrance.  Truly  we  remember  you  every  day, 
especially  in  our  prayers.  Every  morning  we  come  around 
the  family  altar,  your  mother  and  myself,  your  sister  Abby 
Ann,  and  your  brothers  Adoniram  and  Elnathan — Henry  is 
too  young  to  attend — and  it  is  our  earnest  pra)^er  that  all 
our  children  may  early  become  partakers  of  divine  grace. 
I  hope  you  will  never  neglect  the  duty  of  secret  prayer.  Never 
let  a  morning  or  evening  pass  without  going  into  some  room 
or  place  by  yourself,  and  kneeling  down  and  spending  five  or 
ten  minutes  at  least  in  praying  to  God,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Pray  earnestly  that  you  may  have  a  new  heart,  and 
become  a  child  of  God,  and  that  you  may  have  satisfactory 
evidence  that  such  is  your  happy  state. 

"You  observe  in  your  letter  that  you  are  sometimes  dis- 
turbed by  frightful  dreams,  and  we  hear  in  other  ways  that 
your  health  is  rather  delicate.  I  warmly  recommend  you  to 
rise  every  morning  between  light  and  sunrise,  and  take  a 
quick  walk  of  a  mile  or  more,  and  to  the  top  of  some  hill,  if 
there  be  one  in  the  vicinity  that  will  suit  your  purpose  ;  and 
in  the  winter,  when  you  may  not  be  able  to  walk,  get  some 
equivalent  exercise  in  cutting  wood  or  some  other  work.  This 
is  the  course  that,  with  some  intermissions  and  with  various 
modifications,  I  have  pursued  for  thirty-five  years  ;  and  tc 


*  The  child  died  shortly  afterward  at  Serampore. 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIJV. 


431 


this,  under  God,  I  ascribe  the  good  health  and  the  long  life 
I  have  enjoyed  in  this  unpropitious  climate.  Your  mother 
frequently  accompanies  me  over  the  Maulmain  hills,  and  she 
enjoys  much  better  health  than  she  did  at  Tavoy,  where  she 
took  no  exercise,  scarcely.  Do,  my  dear  George,  take  this 
matter  into  serious  consideration.  You  may  not  like  it  at 
first.  You  will,  perhaps,  feel  tired  and  sleepy  for  a  few  days, 
but  when  you  become  a  little  used  to  it,  you  will  enjoy  it  ex- 
ceedingly. You  will  find  your  appetite  improving,  your 
health  becoming  firm,  and  your  repose  by  night  undisturbed. 
I  have  now  given  you  the  two  best  pieces  of  advice  in  my 
power.  The  first  relates  to  your  soul,  the  second  to  your 
body.  Follow  them,  and  be  virtuous  and  happy.  I  hope  to 
hear  that  you  have  professed  religion,  and  devoted  yourself 
to  the  ministry.  Who  knows  but  that  I  shall  live  to  intro- 
duce you  into  missionary  work  in  this  country,  where  your 
own  father  labored,  and  where  his  remains  are  entombed. 
Follow  your  father,  my  dear  George  ;  and  we  will  all,  ere 
long,  be  so  happy  in  heaven  together,  even  in  the  presence 
of  the  dear,  lovely,  glorious  Saviour,  the  Friend  of  sinners, 
who  died  for  us." 

Mrs.  Judson's  health  also  began  to  fail.  She  was  attacked 
by  the  disease  which  finally  terminated  her  life  at  St.  Helena. 
The  children,  too,  were  all  sick,  so  that  a  sea  voyage  was 
needed  for  the  very  preservation  of  the  family.  Mr.  Judson 
reluctantly  decided  to  embark  with  his  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren for  Calcutta.  The  imperative  reasons  for  the  voyage 
he  states  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary : 

"  I  have  been  in  great  distress  for  several  months,  and 
think  I  have  not  written  a  letter  to  America,  except  one  to 
my  mother  and  sister,  since  the  beginning  of  the  year.  Early 
in  March,  Mrs.  Judson  fell  into  a  decline,  and  became  quite 
confined  to  her  bed.  Three  of  the  children  had  been,  for 
some  months,  ill  ;  and  the  two  eldest  were  repeatedly  at  the 
point  of  death.  The  physicians,  missionary  brethren,  and 
all  my  friends  in  Maulmain,  became  clamorous  that  I  should 
try  a  voyage,  as  the  only  remaining  means  of  saving  the  lives 


432  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSON. 

of  the  greater  part  of  my  family.  But,  extremely  reluctant 
to  incur  the  expense  and  encounter  the  breaking  up  which  a 
voyage  would  occasion,  I  suffered  myself  to  be  beguiled  by 
transient  symptoms  of  convalescence,  until,  having  lost  two 
opportunities,  and  seeing  most  of  my  family  in  absolutely 
desperate  circumstances,  I  consented  to  embrace  the  present 
opportunity,  and  embarked  on  the  26th  ultimo." 

The  voyage  was  short,  but  boisterous. 

"  We  had  been  out  only  four  days,"  says  Mrs.  Judson,  "  when 
we  struck  on  shoals,  and  for  about  twenty  minutes  were  ex- 
pecting to  see  the  large,  beautiful  vessel  a  wreck  ;  and  then 
all  on  board  must  perish,  or  at  best  take  refuge  in  a  small 
boat,  exposed  to  the  dreary  tempests.  I  shall  never  forget 
my  feelings,  as  I  looked  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  that  night, 
on  the  dark  ocean,  and  fancied  ourselves  with  our  poor  sick, 
and  almost  dying  children,  launched  on  its  stormy  waves. 
The  captain  tacked  as  soon  as  possible,  and  the  tide  rising 
at  the  time,  we  were  providentially  delivered  from  our  ex- 
treme peril." 

When  the  family  arrived  at  Serampore,  just  above  Cal- 
cutta, they  hired  "  a  nice,  dry  house  on  the  very  bank  of  the 
river."  But  though  the  sea  air  had  naturally  revived  the 
invalids,  as  soon  as  they  came  fairly  under  the  hot  climate 
of  Bengal  they  all  suffered  a  relapse.  What  was  to  be 
done?  They  met  at  Calcutta  a  pious  Scotch  sea  captain 
whose  vessel  was  going  to  the  Isle  of  France,  and  from 
thence  to  Maulmain.  He  made  the  kind  proposal  to  take 
the  whole  family  on  such  terms  that  this  circuitous  course 
would  cost  them  no  more  than  to  go  directly  to  Maulmain. 
They  dreaded  the  voyage  in  the  month  of  August,  which  is 
a  very  dangerous  month  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  but  there 
seemed  to  be  no  other  alternative.  So  Mr.  Judson  accord- 
ingly accepted  Captain  Hamlin's  kind  offer,  and  decided  to 
set  sail  for  that  island,  to  which  he  had  repaired  nearly 
thirty  years  before  when  he  had  been  driven  from  Bengal 


LIFE  IN  MAULMAIN.  433 

by  the  East  India  Company.     But  before  leaving  Serampore 

the  fond  parents  were  compelled  to  lay  in   the  grave  the 

form   of  little   Henry,  their  youngest   child.      Mr.  Judson 

thus  describes  this  mournful  event  in  a  letter  to  his  mother 

and  sister : 

"  Serampore,  Au^itst  i,  184 1. 

"  I  wrote  you  on  the  24th  ultimo.  Perhaps  this  letter  will 
go  by  the  same  conveyance.  Wife  went  down  to  Calcutta, 
for  a  few  days,  to  do  a  little  business,  leaving  the  two  younger 
children  with  me.  On  the  27th  dear  little  Henry's  disorder 
took  an  unfavorable  turn.  He  had  derived  less  benefit  from 
the  voyage  and  change  than  the  other  children,  being  too 
young  to  have  his  mind  engaged  and  diverted,  which  greatly 
contributes  to  bodily  recovery  ;  and  being  considered  less 
dangerously  ill  than  the  others,  had,  perhaps,  less  attention 
paid  him  than  was  desirable.  His  disorder  had  continued  to 
hold  on,  though  at  times  greatly  mitigated.  On  the  28th  he 
grew  worse,  and  I  wrote  down  for  his  mother,  and  in  the 
evening  began  to  despair  of  his  life.  On  the  29th  the  doctor 
gave  him  up  ;  and  my  only  prayer  was,  that  he  might  not  die 
before  his  mother  arrived.  Oh,  what  heavy  hours  now  passedl 
She  arrived  with  the  other  children  in  the  night,  about  two 
o'clock,  and  sprang  to  the  cradle  of  the  little  sufferer,  and 
could  not  think  that  he  was  really  in  a  dying  state.  I  let  hci 
take  her  own  way,  and  she  contrived  to  give  him  a  little  wine 
and  water,  which,  however,  could  be  of  no  avail ;  and  when 
morning  came,  the  marks  of  death  on  the  countenance  were 
too  visible  for  even  the  unwilling  mother  to  refuse  to  ac- 
knowledge. We  spent  the  day  hanging  over  our  dying  babe, 
and  giving  him  some  liquid,  for  which  he  was  always  call- 
ing, to  relieve  his  burning  thirst.  When  I  said,  *  Henry,  my 
son,'  he  would  raise  his  sinking  eyelids,  and  try  to  stretch 
out  his  little  arms  for  me  to  take  him  ;  but  he  could  not  bear 
to  be  held  more  than  a  moment  before  he  would  cry  to  be 
laid  down  again.  Oh,  how  restless  did  he  spend  his  last  day, 
rolling  from  side  to  side,  and  crying  out,  ^Nahnee,'  his  imper- 
fect pronunciation  of  naughty,  by  which  term  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  expressing  his  disapprobation  or  dissatisfaction.     In 


434  ^^^^  L^P^  '^P  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

the  afternoon  he  became  convulsed  for  a  few  moments,  ard 
our  hearts  were  rent  to  witness  the  distortion  of  his  dear 
little  mouth  and  face.  After  that  he  was  more  quiet ;  but 
toward  evening  he  probably  had  some  violent  stroke  of  death, 
for  he  suddenl}^  screamed  out  in  great  pain.  In  the  evening 
he  had  another  turn  of  convulsion.  His  mother  lay  down  by 
his  side,  and,  worn  out  with  fatigue,  fell  fast  asleep.  About 
nine  o'clock  I  had  gone  into  another  room,  and  was  lying 
down,  when  a  servant  called  me.  He  began  to  breathe  loud, 
indicative  of  the  closing  scene.  I  let  the  mother  sleep — sat 
down  by  his  side,  and  presently  called,  as  usual,  '  Henry,  my 
son';  upon  which  he  opened  his  eyes,  and  looked  at  me 
more  intelligently  and  affectionately  than  he  had  been  able 
to  do  for  some  time  ;  but  the  effort  was  too  great,  and  he 
ceased  to  breathe.  I  instantly  awoke  his  mother  ;  he  then 
gave  two  or  three  expiring  gasps,  and  it  was  all  over.  I 
stripped  the  little  emaciated  body,  and  washed  it,  while  his 
mother,  with  the  help  of  a  servant,  made  a  suitable  gown  ; 
and  by  eleven  o'clock  he  was  laid  out  in  the  same  cradle  in 
which  he  died.  For  a  few  days  Elnathan  had  been  ill  with 
a  severe  cough  and  fever,  and  my  attention  had  been  divided 
between  the  two.  After  poor  Henry  was  quiet,  we  turned 
all  our  attention  to  the  others.  The  two  elder  children  were 
much  better.  Next' morning  we  had  a  coffin  made,  in  which 
we  placed  our  dear  child  ;  and  sometimes,  when  other  avo- 
cations permitted,  looked  at  him  through  the  day.  And  oh, 
how  sweet  was  his  dead  face  !  though  there  was  an  expres- 
sion of  pain  lurking  in  some  of  the  features.  At  night  a  few 
of  our  friends  came  together,  and  we  carried  the  coffin  to  the 
mission  burial-ground,  where,  after  a  prayer  by  Mr.  Mack, 
the  body  was  deposited  in  its  final  resting-place.  Farewell, 
my  darling  son  Henry.  While  thy  little  body  rests  in  the 
grave,  I  trust  that  thy  spirit,  through  the  grace  of  Jesus 
Christ,  is  resting  in  Paradise.  We  intend  to  order  a  small 
monument  erected  with  this  inscription:  'The  grave  of 
Henry  Judson,  youngest  son  of  the  Rev.  A.  Judson,  of  Maul- 
main,  who  died  July  30,  1841,  aged  one  year  and  seven 
months.' 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAm 


435 


"  Elnathan  was  very  ill  last  night,  and  is  not  much  better 
to-day.  We  tremble  for  him.  The  vessel  in  which  we  are 
going  to  the  Isle  of  France,  we  hear,  is  to  remain  a  few  days 
longer,  so  that  I  will  add  a  further  line  before  leaving. 

"  Calcutta,  Augtist  6.  We  have  come  down  to  this  place 
with  a  view  to  embarking  ;  but  the  vessel  is  still  detained. 
Elnathan  appears  to  be  very  ill,  with  a  complication  of  com- 
plaints. We  are  in  great  distress  about  him.  The  two  elder 
children  continue  better. 

"  In  haste,  yours  affectionately,  A.  Judson. 

^'At/gtist  13.  We  are  still  waiting  the  moving  of  the  ves- 
sel, but  shall  positively  go  on  board  the  i6th.  Elnathan  is 
much  better,  so  that  we  hope  the  danger  of  losing  him  is 
past.  The  other  children  continue  to  improve.  Farewell 
for  the  presexit. 

"  P.  S. — I  enclose  a  small  lock  of  poor  dear  Henry's  hair. 
We  are  very  sad  whenever  we  think  of  that  bright,  sweet 
boy.  It  was  the  will  of  God  that  he  should  be  taken  from  us  ; 
so  we  must  be  resigned,  and  I  hope  that  he  is  now  waiting 
to  welcome  us  to  the  Paradise  where,  we  trust,  he  has  safely 
arrived.  Two  vessels  have  just  come  in  from  America,  but 
we  have  got  nothing  from  you.  Perhaps  there  may  be  a  let 
ter  or  some  box  which  will  be  forwarded  to  Maulmain." 

Bidding  farewell  to  the  newly-made  grave,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Judson,  with  their  sick  children,  embarked  on  board  the 
Rmnsay,  Captain  Hamlin.  The  voyage  to  the  Isle  of  France 
occupied  about  six  weeks,  and  as  the  monsoon  was  drawing 
to  a  close,  the  storms  were  very  frequent,  sudden  and 
severe.     Mr.  Judson  writes  under  date  of  August  22,  1841  : 

"  Dear  Mrs.  H.  :  We  are  on  board  the  Rai7isay,  pitching 
most  fearfully.  We  have  been  lying  several  days  waiting  for 
the  weather,  and  have  now  got  up  anchor,  so  that  I  am  writ- 
ing a  line  or  two  to  send  back  by  the  pilot." 

And  Mrs.  Judson  thus  records  their  experience : 

"  Could  you  now  look  on  our  dismasted  vessel  you  would 


436  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

indeed  say,  she  is  a  *  ship  in  distress.'  For  the  last  three 
days  we  have  had  the  most  frightful  squalls  I  ever  expe- 
rienced ;  and  yesterday  two  top-masts,  a  top-gallant  mast, 
and  the  jib-boom,  with  all  their  sails,  Avere  torn  away, 
causing  a  tremendous  crash.  For  the  last  two  nights  I  have 
not  closed  my  eyes  to  sleep,  and  I  find  it  quite  impossible  to 
sleep  now.  I  have,  therefore,  taken  my  pen,  though  the 
vessel  rolls  so  that  I  fear  my  writing  will  be  quite  illegible. 
Do  not  infer  from  anything  I  have  said  that  I  am  suffering 
from  terror  ;  my  wakefulness  has  been  occasioned  only  by 
bodily  discomfort,  arising  from  the  violent  tossing  of  the 
vessel.  I  thank  God  that  I  feel  perfectly  calm  and  resigned  ; 
and  I  can  leave  myself  and  my  dear  family  in  His  hands,  with 
a  feeling  of  perfect  peace  and  composure." 

But  this  voyage,  severe  as  it  was,  proved  very  beneficial 
to  the  invalids,  and,  after  spending  a  month  in  Port  Louis, 
they  returned  to  Maulmain,  where  they  arrived  on  Decem- 
ber lO,  in  greatly  improved  health. 

Captain  Hamlin  declined  to  receive  any  compensation  for 
the  passage  from  Calcutta  to  Maulmain  via  the  Isle  of 
France,  although  a  fair  charge  for  the  double  voyage  would 
have  been  two  thousand  rupees,  or  about  one  thousand 
dollars.  The  four  hundred  rupees  which  Mr.  Judson  sent 
him,  merely  as  an  expression  of  his  gratitude,  were  returned, 
the  noble  sailor  saying  that  he  considered  it  a  privilege  to 
have  been  able  to  show  some  kindness  to  the  servants  of 
Christ.  Mr.  Judson  wrote  at  once  to  the  Board,  suggesting 
that  they  should  send  to  the  captain  a  formal  letter  of 
thanks,  together  with  a  present,  "  say  of  a  set  of  the  '  Com- 
prehensive Commentary,' "  to  be  addressed  to  Captain 
Thomas  Hamlin,  Jr.,  Greenock,  Scotland.  The  following 
interesting  incidents  relating  to  this  voyage  found  their 
way  into  a  pamphlet,  compiled  by  "John  Simpson,  Minister 
of  the  Gospel,  Greenock  ": 

"  After  remaining  about  four  weeks  in  Bombay,  the  Ramsay  sailed  for 
Maulmain,  in  Burmah,  and  from  thence  to  Calcutta.     During  these  pas- 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


437 


sages  some  favorable  impressions  seemed  to  have  been  produced  in  the 
minds  of  the  crew;  and  on  their  arrival  at  Calcutta  they  conducted 
themselves  with  greater  propriety  than  at  any  of  the  former  ports  ;  here 
they  regularly  attended  the  floating  chapel.  Whilst  the  ship  was  at  Cal- 
cutta, the  captain  paid  a  visit  to  the  Baptist  missionary  establishment  at 
Serampore.  There  he  fell  in  with  the  indefatigable  missionary.  Dr. 
Judson,  from  Burmah,  who  was  at  Serampore  with  his  family  for  the 
improvement  of  their  health.  As  the  Rainsay  was  shortly  to  sail  for  the 
Island  of  Mauritius,  and  from  thence  to  Maulmain — Dr.  Judson's  resi- 
dence—Captain Hamlin  kindly  offered  them  a  passage,  in  the  hope  that 
it  would  be  conducive  to  the  object  they  had  in  view.  Having  accepted 
the  offer  thus  generously  made  to  him  and  his  family.  Dr.  Judson  felt  a 
strong  desire  to  be  useful  to  the  seamen,  in  whose  dangers  he  was  about 
to  share.  He  made  it  a  matter  of  prayer  to  God  that  he  might  be  in- 
strumental in  turning  some  of  them  from  the  error  of  their  ways;  and, 
before  going  on  board,  expressed  a  conviction  that  God  had  heard  him, 
and  that  He  would  answer  him  in  communicating  His  grace  to  some,  if 
not  to  all,  of  the  crew.  After  putting  to  sea,  worship  was  conducted  by 
Dr.  Judson  and  the  captain  alternately;  but  on  the  Sabbaths  the  whole 
of  the  services  were  conducted  by  the  doctor.  Possessing  all  his  mental 
vigor,  and  his  ardent  love  for  souls  having  suffered  no  abatement,  he 
availed  himself  of  these  opportunities,  in  addition  to  private  instruction, 
to  promote  the  great  end  he  had  in  view,  and  for  which  he  had  so  earnest- 
ly prayed,  previously  to  his  embarking  on  board  the  Ra?iisay.  His  man- 
ner of  address  was  of  the  most  touching  description,  and  seldom  failed 
in  making  the  big  tear  roll  down  the  weather-beaten  cheeks  of  his  hardy, 
auditors.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  he  was  not  laboring  in  vain,  nor 
spending  his  strength  for  nought.  Before  their  arrival  at  the  Mauritius, 
three  of  the  seamen  gave  pleasing  evidence  of  being  converted  to  God. 
During  their  stay  at  the  Mauritius,  public  worship  was  held  on  board 
every  Sabbath,  and  was  well  attended,  both  by  seamen  and  landsmen. 
Religion  was  in  a  languid  state  amongst  the  inhabitants  generally. 
There  were,  however,  a  few  who  seemed  concerned  for  the  advancement 
of  Christ's  kingdom,  and  by  them  it  had  been  in  contemplation  to  fit  up 
a  seaman's  chapel.  They  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  make  application 
to  the  late  benevolent  governor.  Sir  Lionel  Smith,  for  the  use  of  an  old 
ship  lying  there,  belonging  to  Government ;  the  application  had  been 
favorably  received  ;  still  nothing  had  been  done  toward  effecting  the 
object  they  had  in  view,  till  the  captain  of  the  Ramsay,  hearing  how 
matters  stood,  set  about  raising  subscriptions  toward  fitting  up  the  said 
vessel  as  a  Bethel ;  he  likewise  presented  another  memorial  to  the  gov- 
ernor, but  was  obliged  to  leave  at  this  time,  without  seeing  the  work 
accomplished. 


438  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOAURAM  JUDSON. 

"  Leaving  the  Island  of  Mauritius,  their  next  port  of  destination  was 
Maulmain,  in  Burmah.  On  the  passage,  the  usual  religious  services 
were  attended  to ;  and,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  meetings,  an  extra 
one,  for  prayer  and  exhortation,  was  held  every  Wednesday  evening,  and 
conducted  by  the  seamen  who  had  professed  the  name  of  Christ.  This 
meeting  was  the  means  of  effecting  much  good.  Amongst  other  things 
which  came  before  their  minds  was  the  subject  of  baptism.  By  a  diligent 
perusal  of  the  word  of  God,  and  the  instructions  of  Dr.  Judson,  the  new 
converts  were  convinced  that  baptism  by  immersion  was  the  Scriptural 
mode,  and  that  it  was  their  duty,  as  believers  in  Christ,  to  be  baptized  in 
His  name.  Hence  they  determined,  with  the  captain — who  had  doubts 
regarding  the  truth  of  infant  baptism,  before  his  leaving  home — to  be 
baptized  on  the  first  convenient  opportunity  after  reaching  Maulmain. 
Accordingly,  on  the  first  Sabbath  after  their  arrival,  the  captain,  mate, 
and  two  of  the  seamen,  together  with  a  Burmese  female,  were  '  buried 
with  Christ  by  baptism,'  in  presence  of  a  large  assemblage  of  natives  and 
others,  who  appeared  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  all  the  solemn  services 
that  were  attended  to.     The  ordinance  was  administered  by  Dr.  Judson. 

"  At  Maulmain  there  are  two  Baptist  churches — one  for  the  natives, 
which  is  supplied  by  Dr.  Judson ;  the  other  for  Europeans,  etc.,  which  is 
supplied  by  assistant  missionaries.  Both  churches  were  in  a  flourishing 
condition.  The  missionary  work  was  being  zealously  prosecuted,  and 
many  of  the  heathen  were  renouncing  their  idols  and  embracing  the 
Saviour.  The  labors  of  the  missionaries  had  been  eminently  successful 
among  the  Karen  tribe.  Whilst  at  Maulmain,  the  captain  and  mate  paid 
a  visit  to  one  of  the  villages  of  these  interesting  people.  On  their  arrival 
they  found  the  chief — who  acts  also  as  their  spiritual  teacher — with 
nearly  the  whole  of  the 'villagers,  busily  engaged  in  their  rice-fields.  On 
\.\\&gOf7g  being  sounded,  which  was  the  signal  for  the  arrival  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, they  flocked  into  the  native  chapel ;  and,  after  greeting  affec- 
tionately their  teachers,  they  turned  to  the  captain  and  mate,  and  asked 
their  chief,  '  Do  these  men  love  Christ  ?  '  Being  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, they  received  them  with  much  cordiality,  and,  on  their  departure, 
loaded  their  boat  with  fruit,  etc.,  etc. 

"  The  Ramsay  remained  at  Maulmain  eight  weeks,  during  which  time 
the  intercourse  of  the  crew  with  the  Christians  on  shore  was  of  the  most 
pleasing  description.  The  evening  before  they  sailed  from  this  place, 
Dr.  Judson  delivered  a  farewell  address  on  board  the  Ramsay,  which 
produced  a  deep  and  solemn  impression.  All  were  melted  into  tears,  as 
was  the  case  with  Dr.  Judson  himself.  He  alluded  to  the  providential 
manner  in  which  he  had  been  brought  amongst  them,  the  many  happy 
and  profitable  hours  he  had  spent  in  their  society,  the  converting  grace 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMAIN. 


439 


of  God  which  they  had  all  been  privileged  to  witness,  and  some  to  expe- 
rience ;  and  those  who  professed  the  faith  he  exhorted  '  that  with  purpose 
of  heart  they  would  cleave  unto  the  Lord  ';  and  those  who  had  still  held 
out  against  the  entreaties  of  melting  mercy  he  besought  to  be  reconciled 
to  God.  After  engaging  in  solemn  prayer  for  all  on  board,  and  giving 
them  his  parting  blessing,  he  retired,  whilst,  like  Paul's  Christian  breth- 
ren at  Ephesus,  '  they  sorrowed  most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he  spake, 
that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more.' " 

Soon  after  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  and  their  three  children 
returned  to  Maulmain,  Henry  Hall  Judson*  was  born 
July  8,  1842.  He  was  named  after  the  little  boy  whom  they 
had  left  in  his  lonely  grave  at  Serampore. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Judson  heard  of  the  death  of  his 
venerable  mother,  who  departed  this  life  at  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  her  age.  His  father  and 
brother  Elnathan  had  died  before  ;  and  his  sister  Abigail 
was  now  left  alone  at  Plymouth. 

And  now  there  was  pressed  upon  Mr.  Judson  a  great  task, 
and  one  from  which  he  had  long  shrank.  The  Board  at 
home  urgently  desired  him  to  undertake  the  compilation  of 
a  Burman  dictionary.  His  heart  longed  to  be  engaged  in 
direct  individual  work,  winning  souls  to  Christ.  He  had  no 
relish  for  the  seclusion  which  the  work  of  translation  re- 
quired.    Years  before,  he  had  written  : 

"  In  regard  to  a  dictionary,  I  do  not  see  how  I  can  possibly 
undertake  it.     And  if  you  consider  my  situation  a  moment, 

you  will,  I  am  persuaded,  be  of  my  opinion Must  this 

population  of  twenty  thousand  be  left  to  perish  without  any 
effort  to  save  them,  except  what  is  made  by  a  few  very  ineffi- 
cient native  assistants  ?  Ought  there  not  to  be  a  preaching 
missionary  in  this  great,  growing  place  ?  " 

But  no  one  else  seemed  qualified  for  this  task,  and  the 
failure  of  his  voice  imperatively  forbade  his  preaching.  And 
so,  with  the  utmost  reluctance,  he  turned  toward  a   work 


*  At  present  living  in  Plymouth,  Mass. 


440  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

which  was  to  occupy  a  large  part  of  his  time  during  the  rest 
of  his  Hfe.  Under  date  of  April  17,  1843,  1^^  writes,  "  I  am 
chiefly  occupied  in  the  Burman  dictionary,  at  the  repeated 
suggestion  of  the  Board,"  and  he  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary  : 

"  MAULMAiy,  July  13,  l8<l3. 

"  I  never  think  without  some  uneasiness  of  the  infrequency 
of  my  communications  to  the  Board  ;  and  if  I  had  not  an 
apology  at  hand,  I  should  feel  self-condemned.  A  person 
employed  in  direct  missionary  work  among  the  natives,  es- 
pecially if  his  employ  is  somewhat  itinerant,  can  easily  make 
long  and  interesting  journals.  The  first  epithet,  at  least, 
may  be  applied  to  some  of  my  earlier  communications.  But 
it  has  been  my  lot,  for  many  years  past,  to  spend  most  of  my 
time  over  the  study-table  ;  and  my  itinerating  has  scarcely 
extended  beyond  the  limits  of  my  morning  walks  and  the 
precincts  of  the  mission  inclosure.  Several  years  were  spent 
in  translating  the  Bible,  and  several  more  in  revising  it  and 
carrying  the  last  edition  through  the  press.  After  which,  in 
May  last  year,  I  commenced  a  dictionary  of  the  language,  a 
work  which  I  had  resolved  and  re-resolved  never  to  touch. 
But  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct  his  steps.  The 
Board  and  my  brethren  repeatedly  urged  me  to  prepare  a 
dictionary,  the  one  printed  in  1826  being  exceedingly  imper- 
fect ;  and  as  Burmah  continued  shut  against  our  labors,  and 
there  were  several  missionaries  in  this  place,  I  concluded  that 
I  could  not  do  better  than  to  comply. 

"We  are  apt  to  magnify  the  importance  of  any  under- 
taking in  which  we  are  warmly  engaged.  Perhaps  it  is  from 
the  influence  of  that  principle,  that,  notwithstanding  my 
long-cherished  aversion  to  the  work,  I  have  come  to  think  it 
very  important  ;  and  that,  having  seen  the  accomplishment 
of  two  objects  on  which  I  had  set  my  heart  when  I  first  came 
out  to  the  East,  the  establishment  of  a  church  of  converted 
natives  and  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into  their  language, 
I  now  beguile  my  daily  toil  with  the  prospect  of  compassing 
a  third,  which  may  be  compared  to  a  causeway,  designed  to 


LIFE  IN  MA  ULMA  IN.  ^  4 1 

facilitate  the  transmission  of  all  knowledge,  religious  and 
scientific,  from  one  people  to  the  other. 

"  It  was  my  first  intention  to  make  a  single  work,  Burmese 
and  English  ;  but  as  I  proceeded,  I  discovered  many  reasons 
for  constructing  a  double  work,  in  two  parts,  the  firsf  English 
and  Burmese,  the  second  Burmese  and  English.  I  hope,  by 
daily,  uninterrupted  labor,  to  have  the  whole  ready  for  the 
press  by  the  end  of  1845.  Not,  indeed,  that  I  count  on 
living  so  long.  Above  thirty  years  spent  in  a  tropical  climate 
— to-day  is  the  twenty-ninth  anniversary  of  my  arrival  in 
Burmah — leaves  but  little  ground  to  build  future  plans  upon. 
But  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  plod  on,  while  daylight  shall  last, 
looking  out  for  the  night,  and  ready  to  bequeath  both  the 
pl-odding  and  the  profit  to  any  brother  who  shall  be  willing 
to  carry  on  and  complete  the  work  when  I  shall  have  ob 
tained  my  discharge." 


CHAPTER  XL 

VISIT      TO      AMERICA. 

1 84  5-1 846. 

While  thus  plodding  on  in  his  gigantic  task  of  com- 
pihng  a  Burman  dictionary,  Mr.  Judson  found  it  necessary 
to  embark  on  a  voyage  to  his  native  land.  Thirty-two 
years  had  elapsed  since  the  memorable  nineteenth  of  Feb- 
ruary, 18 12,  when  he  and  Mrs.  Judson  had  stood  on  the 
deck  of  the  brig  Caravan,  and  watched  the  rocky  shores  of 
New  England  fade  out  of  their  sight.  The  young  man  of 
twenty-four  had  become  a  veteran  of  fifty-seven.  Again 
and  again  he  had  been  invited  by  the  Board  to  revisit  his 
beloved  native  land  and  recruit  his  wasting  forces,  but  he 
had  steadily  declined.  More  than  five  years  before,  he  had 
received  the  following  urgent  invitation  from  the  Corre- 
sponding Secretaiy : 

"  Baptist  Missionary  Rooms,  Boston,  December  18,  1839. 

"My  dear  Brother:  At  the  meeting-  of  the  Board  on  the  2d 
instant,  your  letter  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  of  May  i,  having  been  read,  it  was 
unanimously  resolved  to  invite  you  to  revisit  this  country,  with  a  view  to 
the  restoration  of  your  health.  The  invitation  was  intended  to  extend  to 
your  wife  and  children,  should  you  judge  it  advisable  for  them  to  accom- 
pany you. 

"  This  resolution,  it  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  add,  was  adopted  not 
only  with  great  cordiality,  but  with  many  expressions  of  the  kindest 
interest  and  sympathy,  and  with  the  universal  desire  that,  if  your  health 
should  continue  as  it  was  at  the  date  of  your  letter,  you  would  comply 
with  it  by  the  earliest  opportunity.  It  is  due  not  only  to  you,  but  to  us, 
and  to  the  general  cause  of  missions,  that  all  suitable  means  be  employed 
(442) 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


443 


to  re-establish  your  health,  and  no  considerations  of  expense  or  obloquy, 
incurred  by  the  frequent  return  of  missionaries,  should  deter  you  from 
adopting-  them. 

"  You  will  perceive  that,  in  making  this  proposal,  the  Board  have  no 
respect  to  the  good  which  might  result  from  your  personal  intercourse 
with  them,  or  others  who  are  interested  in  missions,  but  which,  they 
trust,  would  be  of  great  service  to  them  and  to  the  cause  at  large.  The 
main  object  would  be  gained  if,  by  a  double  voyage,  your  health  should 
be  so  far  restored  as  to  enable  you  to  continue  your  labors  at  the  desk, 
and  for  at  least  a  few  years  longer  supervise  the  publication  of  the 
Scriptures  and  such  other  works  as  your  knowledge  of  Burman  and  of  the 
Burmese  character  peculiarly  qualify  you  to  prepare. 

"May  the  God  of  missions  guide  you  by  His  good  Spirit  in  all  your 
way,  and  of  His  great  goodness  restore  and  preserve  your  health  and 
usefulness  for  a  long  time  yet  to  come. 

"  Affectionately  and  truly  yours, 

"  S.  Peck,  For.  Sec." 

Nevertheless  the  faithful  missionary  had  worked  patiently 
on,  refusing  to  leave  his  field.  At  last,  however,  a  return 
to  America  became  imperative  in  order  to  preserve  Mrs. 
Judson's  hfe.  After  the  birth  of  two  children,  Charles,* 
born  .December  i8,  1843,  and  Edward,  born  December  27, 
1844,  her  health  rapidly  declined.  She  had  taken  several 
short  journeys  along  the  coast  without  receiving  any  per- 
manent benefit.  On  one  of  these  trips  she  was  accompanied 
by  her  eldest  child,  Abby,  who  was  about  ten  years  old, 
and  also  by  the  little  invalid,  Charlie.  Mr.  Judson  with  his 
four  boys,  Adoniram,  Elnathan,  Henry,  and  the  infant 
Edward,  were  left  behind  at  Maulmain.  A  glimpse  of  the 
missionary's  home-life  is  afforded  in  a  letter  which  Abby 
received  on  this  occasion  from  her  absent  father : 

"  Maulmain,  March  9,  1845. 
"  My  dear  Daughter  :  Your  letters  to  me  and  your  broth- 
ers, together  with  the  shells  from  Mergui,  arrived  this  after- 
noon in  the  Burmese  box,  which  mamma  sent  by  the  steamer. 
The  boys  are  delighted  with  the  shells,  and  Henry  has 
picked  out  some  for  his  own  ;  and  they  have  agreed  to  give 


Died  in  infancy. 


444  T'/Zi^  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

me  for  my  share  the  large  coral  shell.  They  have  already 
written  some  letters  to  you,  and  mamma,  and  Charlie,  which 
I  shall  send  by  return  of  steamer  ;  and  perhaps  they  will 
add  some  more,  as  this  is  such  a  favorable  opportunity.  It 
is  now  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I 
have  had  a  little  meeting  with  Adoniram  and  Elnathan,  and 
now  they  are  asleep.  Edward  has  become  a  fat  little  fellow ; 
I  am  sure  you  would  not  know  him  again.  He  begins  to 
look  pleased  when  he  is  played  with.  But  he  has  not  yet 
made  any  inquiries  about  his  absent  mother  and  sister.  In- 
deed, I  doubt  much  whether  he  is  aware  that  he  has  any 
such  relatives.  Or  if  he  ever  exercises  his  mind  on  such 
abstruse  topics,  perhaps  he  fancies  that  black  Ah-mah  is  his 
mother,  since  she  nurses  him,  and  does  not  know  what  a  fair, 
beautiful,  fond  mother  he  has  at  Mergui,  who  thinks  of  him 
every  day.  However,  when  he  gets  larger,  we  will  tell  him 
all  about  these  matters. 

"  I  am  getting  the  carpenters  to  make  a  new  cot  for  you, 
longer  than  your  old  one.  That  I  have  given  to  x^doniram, 
and  his  to  Elnathan.  Both  the  kittens  are  dead,  and  the 
old  yellow  cat  has  been  missing  for  several  days.  She  was 
very  thin,  and  apparently  very  ill,  when  we  last  saw  her.  So 
I  suppose  she  crept  away  into  some  secret  place  and  lay  down 
and  died.     Alas  !  poor  pussy  ! 

"  I  pray  every  day  that  somewhere  during  your  travels 
with  dear  mamma  you  may  receive  a  blessing  from  God,  so 
that  you  will  return  a  true  Christian,  and  set  such  an  ex- 
ample before  your  brothers  as  will  induce  them  to  try  to 
follow  your  steps.  Think  of  the  dear  Saviour  every  day, 
and  frequently  lift  up  your  heart  in  fervent  prayer  to  God, 
that  He  will  give  you  His  converting,  sanctifying  grace,  and 
make  you  His  own  child.  Try  to  subdue  every  evil  passion, 
and  avoid  all  bad  conduct.  If  you  trust  hi  the  Saviour  and  try 
to  be  good,  He  will  7?iake  you  good.  In  your  daily  deportment 
and  intercourse  with  others,  remember  these  two  lines  : 

"  '  Sweet  in  temper,  face,  and  word. 
To  please  an  ever-present  Lord.' 

"  Your  affectionate  father. 
"  Love  to  dear  Charlie." 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  445 

But,  as  has  already  been  stated,  these  short  trips  along 
the  Tenasserim  coast*  proved  quite  unavailing.  Mrs.  Jud- 
son's  condition  was  almost  desperate,  and  the  only  hope  of 
saving  this  precious  life  lay  in  a  voyage  to  America.  Her 
husband  writes  sadly  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary: 

"The  hand  of  God  is  heavy  upon  me.  The  complaint  to 
which  Mrs.  Judson  is  subject  has  become  so  violent  that  it 
is  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all  the  medical  men,  and  indeed 
of  all  our  friends,  that  nothing  but  a  voyage  beyond  the 
tropics  can  possibly  protract  her  life  beyond  the  period  of  a 
few.  weeks,  but  that  such  a  voyage  will,  in  all  probability, 
insure  her  recovery.  All  medical  skill  has  been  exhausted. 
She  has  spent  six  weeks  with  our  commissioner  and  his  lady 
in  a  trip  down  the  coast,  touching  at  Tavoy  and  Mergui, 
and  returned  weaker  and  nearer  the  grave  than  when  she 
set  out.  She  is  willing  to  die,  and  I  hope  I  am  willing  to 
see  her  die,  if  it  be  the  Divine  will  ;  but  though  my  wife,  it 
is  no  more  than  truth  to  say  that  there  is  scarcely  an  indi- 
vidual foreigner  now  alive  who  speaks  and  writes  the  Bur- 
mese tongue  so  acceptably  as  she  does  ;  and  I  feel  that  an 
effort  ought  to  be  made  to  save  her  life.  I  have  long  fought 
against  the  necessity  of  accompanying  her  ;  but  she  is  now 
so  desperately  weak,  and  almost  helpless,  that  all  say  it 
would  be  nothing  but  savage  inhumanity  to  send  her  off 
alone.  The  three  younger  children,  the  youngest  but  three 
months  and  a  half  old,  we  must  leave  behind  us,  casting 
them,  as  it  were,  on  the  waters,  in  the  hope  of  finding  them 
after  many  days.  The  three  elder,  Abby  Ann,  Adoniram, 
and  Elnathan,  we  take  with  us,  to  leave  in  their  parents' 
native  land.  These  rendings  of  parental  ties  are  more  severe, 
and  wring  out  bitterer  tears  from  the  heart's  core,  than  any 
can  possibly  conceive  who  have  never  felt  the  wrench.  But 
I  hope  I  can  say  with  truth  that  I  love  Christ  above  all  ;  and 
I  am  striving,  in  the  strength  of  my  weak  faith,  to  gird  up 
my  mind  to  face  and  welcome  all  His  appointments.  And 
I  am  much  helped  to  bear  these  trials  by  the  advice  and 

*  See  Map  II. 


446  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

encouragcn^::nt  of  all  my  dear  brethren  and  sisters  of   llie 
mission. 

"  It  is  another  great  trial  to  leave  my  dear  church  and 
people.  I  never  knew  till  now  how  much  I  loved  them,  and 
how  much  they  loved  me. 

"  '  And  'tis  to  love,  our  farewells  owe 
All  their  emphasis  of  woe.' 

"  But  I  leave  them  in  the  hands  of  my  dear  brethren,  and 
there  are  no  persons  in  the  world  to  whom  I  should  be  so 
willing  to  commit  so  dear  a  charge 

"Another  great  trial,  not  so  much  as  it  regards  feeling  as 
it  regards  the  anticipated  result  of  long-protracted  labor,  is 
the  interruption  which  the  heavy  work  of  the  Burmese  dic- 
tionary, in  which  I  have  been  engaged  for  two  or  three  years, 
must  sustain  ;  and  such  is  the  state  of  my  manuscripts,  that 
if  I  should  die  before  this  work  is  completed,  or  at  least  car- 
ried forward  to  a  much  more  advanced  stage,  all  my  previous 
labor  would  be  nearly  or  quite  lost.  But  I  am  endeavoring 
to  obviate  this  difficulty  in  some  degree,  by  taking  with  me 
mv  two  assistants  in  that  department,  whose  hearts  God 
has  graciously  inclined  to  leave  their  families  and  accom- 
pany me.  They  are  both  Christians,  the  one  a  settled  char- 
acter, a  convert  of  long  standing,  formerly  a  Government 
writer  in  Rangoon  ;  the  other  a  nephew  of  the  late  premier 
of  the  court  of  Ava,  a  person  of  noble  extraction,  and  though 
not  a  tried  Christian,  I  hope  a  sincere  one.  And  it  is  my 
purpose  to  devote  some  hours  every  day,  whether  on  the  sea 
or  land,  to  the  work  mentioned.  I  shall  be  induced  to  per- 
severe in  this  purpose  while  in  America,  from  the  fact  that  I 
am  unable  to  travel  about  the  country  as  an  agent  and 
preach  in  the  English  language.  The  course  that  I  have 
uniformly  pursued,  ever  since  I  became  a  missionary,  has 
been  rather  peculiar.  In  order  to  become  an  acceptable  and 
eloquent  preacher  in  a  foreign  language,  I  deliberately  ab- 
jured my  own.  When  I  crossed  the  river,  I  burned  my  ships. 
For  thirty-two  years  I  have  scarcely  entered  an  English 
pulpit  or  made  a  speech  in  that  language.     Whether  I  have 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  447 

pursued  the  wisest  course,  I  will  not  contend  ;  and  how  far 
I  have  attained  the  object  aimed  at,  I  must  leave  for  others 
to  say.  But  whether  right  or  wrong,  the  course  I  have  taken 
can  not  be  retraced.  The  burned  ships  can  not  now  be 
reconstructed.  From  long  desuetude,  I  can  scarcely  put 
three  sentences  together  in  the  English  language.*  1  must 
therefore  beg  the  Board  to  allow  me  a  quiet  corner,  where 
I  can  pursue  my  work  with  my  assistants  undisturbed  and 
unknown. 

"  This  request  I  am  induced  to  urge  from  the  further  con- 
sideration that  my  voice,  though  greatly  recovered  from  the 
affection  of  the  lungs,  which  laid  me  aside  from  preaching 
nearly  a  year,  is  still  so  weak  that  it  can  only  fill  a  small 
room  ;  and  whenever  I  attempt  to  raise  it  above  the  con- 
versational tone,  the  weak  place  gives  way,  and  I  am  quite 
broken  down  again  for  several  weeks.  I  hope,  therefore,  that 
no  one  will  try  to  persuade  me  to  be  guilty  of  such  impru- 
dence while  in  America  ;  but  since  there  are  thousands  of 
preachers  in  English,  and  only  five  or  six  Burmese  preachers 
in  the  whole  world,  I  may  be  allowed  to  hoard  up  the  rem- 
nant of  my  breath  and  lungs  for  the  country  where  they  arc 
most  needed."  .... 

On  April  26,  1845,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson,  with  the  three 
elder  children,  Abby,  Adoniram,  and  Elnathan,  embarked 
on  the  ship  Paragon  bound  for  London.  They  were  accom- 
panied by  two  Burman  assistants,  as  it  was  Mr.  Judson's 
purpose  to  spend  a  portion  of  each  day  upon  the  Burman 
dictionary.  The  three  younger  children,  Henry,  Charles, 
and  Edward,  as  has  been  said,  were  left  behind  in  the  ten- 
der care  of  the  missionaries  at  Maulmain.  The  first  part  of 
the  voyage  was  so  rough  that  the  vessel  sprang  aleak,  and 
the  captain  determined  to  put  in  at  the  Isle  of  France ;  and 
on  July  5th  the  ship,  with  its  precious  freight,  arrived  at 
Port  Louis.  Mrs.  Judson  had  so  far  improved  in  health 
that  the  two  missionaries  formed  the  purpose  of  separating, 


*  In  public  speech. 


448  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

as  it  was  thought  that  Mrs.  Judson  would  now  be  able  to 
continue  the  voyage  to  America  alone,  while  Mr.  Judson 
should  return  to  his  work  in  Maulmain,  It  would  be  hard 
to  find  a  parallel  for  this  instance  of  heroic  self-sacrifice. 
Of  these  two  returning  missionaries,  one  was  a  poor,  shat- 
tered invalid,  consenting  to  forego  her  beloved  husband's 
society  and  to  take  the  long  westward  journey  in  solitude  ; 
the  other  relinquishing  the  prospect  of  again  seeing  his 
native  land  after  an  absence  of  thirty-three  years,  and  leav- 
ing the  side  of  his  sick  wife  the  moment  his  presence 
seemed  no  longer  indispensable,  that  he  might  resume  his 
labors  among  the  perishing  Burmans.  It  was  under  these 
circumstances  that  Mrs.  Judson  wrote  the  pathetic  lines 
which  shall  be  recited  for  a  memorial  of  her  wheresoever 
the. Gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world  : 

"  We  part  on  this  green  islet,  love, — 
Thou  for  the  eastern  main, 
I  for  the  setting  sun,  love, 
O,  when  to  meet  again  I 

"  My  heart  is  sad  for  thee,  love. 
For  lone  thy  way  will  be  ; 
And  oft  thy  tears  will  fall,  love. 
For  thy  children  and  for  me. 

"  The  music  of  thy  daughter's  voice 
Thou'lt  miss  for  many  a  year  ; 
And  the  merry  shout  of  thine  elder  boys 
Thou'lt  list  in  vain  to  hear. 

"  When  we  knelt  to  see  our  Henry  die, 
And  heard  his  last,  faint  moan, 
Each  wiped  the  tear  from  other's  eye ; 
Now  each  must  weep  alone. 

"  My  tears  fall  fast  for  thee,  love  ; 
How  can  I  say.  Farewell  ! 
But  go  ;  thy  God  be  with  thee,  love, 
Thy  heart's  deep  grief  to  quell. 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  449 

« 
"Yet  my  spirit  clings  to  thine,  love  ; 
Thy  soul  remains  with  me. 
And  oft  we'll  hold  communion  sweet 
O'er  the  dark  and  distant  sea. 

"  And  who  can  paint  our  mutual  joy, 
When,  all  our  wanderings  o'er, 
We  both  shall  clasp  our  infants  three 
At  home,  on  Burmah's  shore  ! 

"  But  higher  shall  our  raptures  glow. 
On  yon  celestial  plain. 
When  the  loved  and  parted  here  below 
Meet,  ne'er  to  part  again. 

"  Then  gird  thine  armor  on,  love, 
Nor  faint  thou  by  the  way, 
Till  Buddh  shall  fall,  and  Burmah's  sons 
Shall  own  Messiah's  sway." 

The  two  native  assistants  were  therefore  sent  back  to 
Maulmain,  and  Mr,  Judson  expected  to  follow  them  as  soon 
as  he  had  seen  Mrs.  Judson  fairly  on  board  ship  for  Amer- 
ica. But  she  experienced  a  severe  relapse,  wliich  reduced 
her  strength  lower  than  ever  before  ;  and  Mr.  Judson  was 
soon  convinced  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  leave 
her,  and,  although  he  bitterly  regretted  the  loss  of  his  assist- 
ants, he  felt  obliged,  after  spending  three  weeks  in  the  Isle 
of  France,  to  re-embark  with  Mrs.  Judson.  They  took  pas- 
sage  with  Captain  Codman,  of  the  ship  Sophia  Walker,  which 
was  bound  directly  for  the  United  States.  On  the  25th  of 
July  they  sailed  from  Port  Louis,  and  after  a  time  Mrs. 
Judson  again  appeared  to  be  recovering.  But  the  appear- 
ance proved  deceptive.  There  came  another  dreadful  re- 
lapse, which  soon  terminated  in  death. 

"  In  the  cold  weather  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  Mr. 

Judson  writes,  "  my  hopes  became  again  very  sanguine.     But 

she  never  really  recovered  from  her  last  prostration,  and, 

though  sometimes  better,  continued,  on  the  whole,  to  decline, 

29 


450  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JVDSON. 

until  we  neared  St.  Helena,  when  I  gave  up  all  hope  of  her 
recovery.  She  lingered  a  few  days,  while  the  vessel  was  de- 
tained in  port,  until  the  ist  instant,  when,  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  she  obtained  her  release  from  further  suffering, 
and  entered,  I  trust,  into  the  joy  of  her  Lord.  She  was 
buried  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  ;  and  in  the  evening 
we  were  again  at  sea." 

Fuller  details  of  this  mournful  event  are  given  in  the  ap- 
pended letter  and  obituary  notice  written  by  Mr,  Judson  in 
a  letter  to  a  friend  at  Port  Louis  : 

"  On  Passage  from  St.  Helena,  September  2,  1845. 

"  My  dear  Friend  :  I  shall  have  no  opportunity  of  send- 
ing this  till  after  my  arrival  in  the  United  States  ;  so  that 
you  will  probably  have  heard  of  Mrs.  Judson's  death  before 
receiving  this  line,  I  was  so  overwhelmed  with  my  distress 
while  at  St.  Helena,  that  it  never  occurred  to  me  to  write  a 
line  to  any  of  my  friends.  My  dear  wife  continued  to  decline 
after  leaving  the  Isle  of  France.  Neither  the  best  medical 
advice,  nor  the  most  careful  nursing  on  my  part,  nor  any 
change  of  climate,  seemed  to  have  much  salutary  effect. 
When  we  reached  St.  Helena  I  had  given  up  all  hope  of  her 
recovery.  That  took  place  on  the  26th  of  August.  The  ves- 
sel remained  a  few  days.  She  lingered  along  till  the  first, 
that  is,  yesterday,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  her 
spirit  took  its  final  flight.  The  body  was  carried  on  shore  in 
the  afternoon,  aad  interred'  in  the  public  burial-ground,  by 
the  side  of  Mrs.  Chater,  long  a  missionary  at  Ceylon,  who 
died  on  her  passage  home.  The  funeral  was  attended  by  a 
crowd  of  friends,  though  we  were  entire  strangers  in  the 
place.  We  were  surprised  to  find  several  pious  persons 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev,  Mr.  Bertram,  an  excel- 
lent, zealous  missionary.  They  took  me  and  the  children  to 
their  houses  and  their  hearts,  and  their  consoling  conversa- 
tion and  sympathizing  prayers,  in  the  hour  of  my  distress, 
afforded  wonderful  relief.  Would  you  believe  that  these 
pious  friends  and  the  captain  of  our  ship  defrayed  all  the 
expenses  of  the  funeral  ?     They  even   had   mourning  suits 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


451 


made  for  the  children,  and  sent  off  to  the  ship  !  But  I  was 
obliged  to  leave  them  all  the  same  evening  ;  and  this  morn- 
ing, the  rock  of  the  ocean,  where  reposes  all  that  is  mortal 
of  my  dear,  dear  wife,  was  out  of  sight.  And  O,  how  deso- 
late my  cabin  appears,  and  how  dreary  the  way  before  me  ! 
But  I  have  the  great  consolation  that  she  died  in  peace,  long- 
ing to  depart  and  be  with  Christ.  She  had  some  desire, 
being  on  her  passage  home,  to  see  her  parents,  and  relatives, 
and  friends,  after  twenty  years'  absence  ;  but  the  love  of 
Christ  sustained  her  to  the  last.  When  near  dying,  I  con- 
gratulated her  on  the  prospect  of  soon  beholding  the  Saviour 
in  all  His  glory  ;  and  she  eagerly  replied,  'What  can  I  want 
beside  ?'....  May  we  who  remain  have  grace  to  follow 
those  who,  through  faith,  inherit  the  promises." 

Obituary  of  Mrs.  Sarah  B.  Judson. 

"  Sarah  Boardman  Judson  was  born  at  Alstead,  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire,  November  4,  1803.  She  was  the 
eldest  child  of  Ralph  and  Abiah  Hall.  While  Sarah  was  but 
a  child,  her  parents  removed  from  Alstead  to  Danvers,  and 
subsequently  to  Salem,  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  In 
the  latter  place  she  received  her  education,  and  continued  to 
reside  until  she  was  married  to  the  Rev.  George  Dana  Board- 
man,  July  4,  1825,  with  whom  she  embarked  in  the  same 
month  for  the  East  Indies,  to  join  the  American  missionaries 
in  Burmah.  After  residing  some  time  at  Calcutta  and  at 
Maulmain,  they  settled  at  Tavoy,  April  i,  1828.  During  her 
residence  in  Calcutta  and  Tavoy  she  had  three  children,  of 
whom  one  only,  George  Dana  Boardman,  Jr.,  born  August 
18,  1828,  survives  her.  She  lost  her  husband  February  11, 
1 83 1,  and  was  married  again  to  Adoniram  Judson,  of  Maul- 
main, April  10,  1834.  At  Maulmain  she  became  the  mother 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  five  survive  her.  After  the  birth 
of  her  last  child,  in  December,  1844,  she  was  attacked  with 
chronic  diarrhoea,  from  which  she  had  suffered  much  in  the 
early  part  of  her  missionary  life.  When,  in  the  progress  of 
the  disease,  it  became  evident  that  nothing  but  a  long  voyage 
and  an  entire  change  of  climate  could  save  her  life,  she  em- 


452  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

barked,  with  her  husband  and  three  elder  children,  for  the 
United  States,  April  26,  1845.  The  voyage  was  at  first  at- 
tended with  encouraging  results,  but  finally  proved  unavail- 
ing, and  she  departed  this  life  on  shipboard,  in  the  port  of 
St.  Helena,  September  i,  1845. 

"  Like  multitudes  in  the  highly-favored  land  of  her  nativ- 
ity, she  was  blessed  with  early  religious  advantages,  and  in 
her  youth  became  the  subject  of  serious  impressions.  When 
about  sixteen  years  of  age,  during  a  revival  of  religion  in 
Salem,  she  entertained  a  hope,  received  baptism  at  the  hands 
of  her  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bolles,  and  became  a  member  of 
his  church.  Her  religious  attainments,  however,  were  not  of 
a  distinguished  order,  and  though  her  amiable  disposition 
and  her  deep  interest  in  missions,  especially  after  her  ac- 
quaintance with  Mr.  Boardman,  gave  her  an  elevated  tone  of 
character,  she  subsequently  felt  that  at  that  period  she  hardly 
deserved  the  name  of  a  sincere  Christian.  And  it  was  not 
until  she  was  called  to  part  with  her  eldest  child,  at  Tavoy, 
in  1829,  and  to  pass  through  scenes  of  great  danger  and  suf- 
fering during  the  Tavoy  rebellion,  that  she  was  enabled  to 
live  a  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God. 

"  '  Sweet  affliction,  sweet  affliction, 
That  brings  near  to  Jesus'  feet.' 

"  In  regard  to  her  missionary  qualifications  and  labors.  I 
may  state  that  she  applied  herself  with  great  assiduity  to  the 
study  of  the  Burmese  language,  in  which,  in  conversation, 
prayer,  and  writing,  she  acquired  an  uncommon  degree  of 
correctness,  fluency,  and  power.  She  was  in  the  habit  of 
conducting  a  prayer-meeting  of  the  female  members  of  the 
church  every  week,  and  also  another  meeting  for  the  study 
of  the  Scriptures.  Her  acquaintance  with,  and  attachment 
to,  the  Burmese  Bible  were  rather  extraordinary.  She  pro- 
fessed to  take  more  pleasure  and  derive  more  profit  from  the 
perusal  of  that  translation  than  from  the  English,  and  to 
enjoy  preaching  in  the  native  chapel  more  than  in  any  other. 
Her  translation  of  the  *  Pilgrim's  Progress,'  part  first,  into 
Burmese,  is  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  composition  which  we 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  453 

have  yet  published.  Her  translation  of  Mr.  Board  nan's 
'  Dying  Father's  Advice '  has  become  one  of  our  standard 
tracts ;  and  her  hymns  in  Burmese,  about  twenty  in  number, 
are  probably  the  best  in  our  '  Chapel  Hymn  Book ' — a  work 
which  she  was  appointed  by  the  mission  to  edit.  Besides 
these  works,  she  published  four  volumes  of  Scripture  ques- 
tions, which  are  in  constant  use  in  our  Sabbath-schools.  The 
last  work  of  her  life,  and  one  which  she  accomplished  in  the 
midst  of  overwhelming  family  cares,  and  under  the  pressure 
of  declining  health,  was  a  series  of  Sunday  cards,  each  ac- 
companied with  a  short  hymn,  adapted  to  the  leading  subject 
of  the  card. 

"  Besides  her  acquaintance  with  the  Burmese  language, 
she  had,  in  past  years,  when  there  was  no  missionary  in  the 
Peguan  department,  acquired  a  competent  knowledge  of 
that  language,  and  translated,  or  superintended  the  transla- 
tion of,  the  New  Testament  and  the  principal  Burmese  tracts 
into  Peguan.  But  when  a  missionary  was  appointed  to  that 
department,  she  transferred  her  work  to  him,  and  gladly 
confined  herself  to  the  Burmese. 

"  Something,  also,  might  be  said  with  regard  to  her  labors 
in  the  Karen  wilderness  east  of  Tavoy,  especially  during  the 
years  of  her  widowhood,  when  she  made  toilsome  journeys 
among  the  mountains,  sometimes  amid  drenching  rains,  and 
always  with  many  privations,  and  where,  notwithstanding 
that  she  was  wholly  opposed  to  the  principle  of  females  act- 
ing the  part  of  ministers,  she  was  frequently  obliged  to  con- 
duct worship  in  the  Karen  assemblies. 

"  Her  bereaved  husband  is  the  more  desirous  of  bearing 
this  testimon}'^  to  her  various  attainments,  her  labors,  and  her 
worth,  from  the  fact  that  her  own  unobtrusive  and  retiring 
disposition  always  led  her  to  seek  the  shade,  as  well  as  from 
the  fact  that  she  was  often  brought  into  comparison  with 
one  whose  life  and  character  were  uncommonly  interesting 
and  brilliant.  The  memoir  of  his  first  beloved  wife  has  been 
long  before  the  public.  It  is,  therefore,  most  gratifying  to 
his  feelings  to  be  able  to  say,  in  truth,  that  the  subject  of 
this  notice  was,  in  every  point  of  natural  and  moral  excel- 


454  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSON. 

lence,  the  worthy  successor  of  Ann  H.  Judson.  He  con- 
stantly thanks  God  that  he  has  been  blessed  with  two  of  the 
best  of  wives  ;  he  deeply  feels  that  he  has  not  improved  these 
rich  blessings  as  he  ought,  and  it  is  most  painful  to  reflect 
that,  from  the  peculiar  pressure  of  the  missionary  life,  he 
has  sometimes  failed  to  treat  those  dear  beings  with  that 
consideration,  attention,  and  kindness  which  their  situation 
in  a  foreign  heathen  land  ever  demanded. 

"  But,  to  show  the  forgiving  and  grateful  disposition  of  the 
subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  and  somewhat  to  elucidate  her 
character,  he  would  add  that,  a  few  days  before  her  death, 
he  called  her  children  to  her  bedside,  and  said,  in  their  hear- 
ing, 'I  wish,  my  love,  to  ask  pardon  for  every  unkind  word 
or  deed  of  which  I  have  ever  been  guilty.  I  feel  that  I  have, 
in  many  instances,  failed  of  treating  you  with  that  kindness 
and  affection  which  you  have  ever  deserved.'  '  O,'  said  she, 
'  you  will  kill  me  if  you  talk  so.  It  is  I  that  should  ask  par- 
don of  you  ;  and  I  only  want  to  get  well  that  I  may  have  an 
opportunity  of  making  some  return  for  all  your  kindness,  and 
of  showing  you  how  much  I  love  you.' 

"  This  recollection  of  her  dying  bed  leads  me  to  say  a  few 
words  relative  to  the  closing  scenes  of  her  life.  After  her 
prostration  at  the  Isle  of  France,  where  we  spent  three  weeks, 
there  remained  but  little  expectation  of  her  recovery.  Her 
hope  had  long  been  fixed  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  she  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  contemplating  death  as  neither  distant 
nor  undesirable.  As  it  drew  near,  she  remained  perfectly 
tranquil.  No  shade  of  doubt,  or  fear,  or  anxiety,  ever  passed 
over  her  mind.  She  had  a  prevailing  preference  to  depart 
and  be  with  Christ.  '  I  am  longing  to  depart,'  and  '  What 
can  I  want  beside  ? '  quoting  the  language  of  a  familiar 
hymn,  were  the  expressions  which  revealed  the  spiritual 
peace  and  joy  of  her  mind  ;  yet,  at  times,  the  thought  of  her 
native  land,  to  which  she  was  approaching,  after  an  absence 
of  twenty  years,  and  a  longing  desire  to  see  once  more  her 
son  George,  her  parents,  and  the  friends  of  her  youth,  drew 
down  her  ascending  soul,  and,constrained  her  to  say,  '  I  am 
in  a  strait  betwixt  two — let  the  will  of  God  be  done.' 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  455 

"  In  regard  to  her  children  she  ever  manifested  the  most 
surprising  composure  and  resignation,  so  much  so  that  I  was 
once  induced  to  say,  *  You  seem  to  have  forgotten  the  little 
ones  we  have  left  behind.'  '  Can  a  mother  forget  ? '  she  re- 
plied, and  was  unable  to  proceed.  During  her  last  days  she 
spent  much  time  in  praying  for  the  early  conversion  of  her 
children.  May  her  living  and  her  dying  prayers  draw  down 
the  blessing  of  God  on  their  bereaved  heads. 

"  On  our  passage  homeward,  as  the  strength  of  Mrs.  Jud- 
son  gradually  declined,  I  expected  to  be  under  the  painful 
necessity  of  burying  her  in  the  sea.  But  it  was  so  ordered 
by  divine  Providence,  that,  when  the  indications  of  approach- 
ing death  had  become  strongly  marked,  the  ship  came  to 
anchor  in  the  port  of  St.  Helena.  For  three  days  she  con- 
tinued to  sink  rapidly,  though  her  bodily  sufferings  were  not 
very  severe.  Her  mind  became  liable  to  wander  ;  but  a 
single  word  was  sufficient  to  recall  and  steady  her  recollec- 
tion. On  the  evening  of  the  31st  of  August  she  appeared  to 
be  drawing  near  to  the  end  of  her  pilgrimage.  The  children 
took  leave  of  her,  and  retired  to  rest.  I  sat  alone  by  the  side 
of  her  bed  during  the  hours  of  the  night,  endeavoring  to  ad- 
minister relief  to  the  distressed  body  and  consolation  to  the 
departing  soul.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  wishing  to 
obtain  one  more  token  of  recognition,  I  roused  her  attention, 
and  said,  'Do  you  still  love  the  Saviour?'  '  O,  yes,'  she  re- 
plied, *  I  ever  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'  I  said  again,  '  Do 
you  still  love  me  ? '  She  replied  in  the  affirmative,  by  a 
peculiar  expression  of  her  own.  'Then  give  me  one  more 
kiss ';  and  we  exchanged  that  token  of  love  for  the  last  time. 
Another  hour  passed,  life  continued  to  recede,  and  she  ceased 
to  breathe.  For  a  moment  I  traced  her  upward  flight,  and 
thought  of  the  wonders  which  were  opening  to  her  view.  I 
then  closed  her  sightless  eyes,  dressed  her,  for  the  last  time, 
in  the  drapery  of  death,  and  being  quite  exhausted  with 
many  sleepless  nights,  I  threw  myself  down  and  slept.  On 
awaking  in  the  morning,  I  saw  the  children  standing  and 
weeping  around  the  body  of  their  dear  mother,  then,  for  the 
first  time,  inattentive  to  their  cries.    In  the  course  of  the  day 


456  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

a  coffin  was  procured  from  the  shore,  in  which  I  placed  all 
that  remained  of  her  whom  I  had  so  much  loved  ;  and  after 
a  prayer  had  been  offered  by  a  dear  brother  minister  from 
the  town,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bertram,  we  proceeded  in  boats  to  the 
shore.  There  we  were  met  by  the  colonial  chaplain,  and  ac- 
companied to  the  burial-ground  by  the  adherents  and  friends 
of  Mr.  Bertram,  and  a  large  concourse  of  the  inhabitants. 
They  had  prepared  the  grave  in  a  beautiful,  shady  spot,  con- 
tiguous to  the  grave  of  Mrs.  Chater,  a  missionary  from  Cey- 
lon, who  had  died  in  similar  circumstances  on  her.  passage 
home.  There  I  saw  her  safely  deposited,  and  in  the  language 
of  prayer,  which  we  had  often  presented  together  at  the 
throne  of  grace,  I  blessed  God  that  her  body  had  attained 
the  repose  of  the  grave  and  her  spirit  the  repose  of  Paradise. 
After  the  funeral,  the  dear  friends  of  Mr.  Bertram  took  me 
to  their  houses  and  their  hearts  ;  and  their  conversation  and 
prayers  afforded  me  unexpected  relief  and  consolation.  But 
I  was  obliged  to  hasten  on  board  ship,  and  we  immediately 
went  to  sea.  On  the  following  morning  no  vestige  of  the 
island  was  discernible  in  the  distant  horizon.  For  a  few 
days,  in  the  solitude  of  my  cabin,  with  my  poor  children 
crying  around  me,  I  could  not  help  abandoning  myself  to 
heart-breaking  sorrow.  But  the  promises  of  the  Gospel 
came  to  m\  aid,  and  faith  stretched  her  view  to  the  bright 
world  of  eternal  life,  and  anticipated  a  happy  meeting  with 
those  beloved  beings  whose  bodies  are  mouldering  at  Am- 
herst and  St.  Helena. 

"  I  exceedingly  regret  that  there  is  no  portrait  of  the  sec- 
ond, as  of  the  first  Mrs.  Judson.  Her  soft  blue  eye,  her  mild 
aspect,  her  lovely  face,  and  elegant  form  have  never  been 
delineated  on  canvas.  They  must  soon  pass  away  from  the 
memory  even  of  her  children,  but  they  will  remain  forever 
enshrined  in  her  husband's  heart. 

"To  my  friends  at  St.  Helena  I  am  under  great  obligation. 
I  desire  to  thank  God  for  having  raised  up  in  that  place  a 
most  precious  religious  interest.  The  friends  of  the  Re- 
deemer rallied  around  an  evangelical  minister  immediately 
on  his  arrival,  and  within  a  few  months  several  souls  were 


-.^idtTWlt  ifyif'i^jL.y(^t/ytj£>H    lO^t^^  filh    '^Tic 


-irlt^^.Si***^^ 


II. 


Fac-Simile  of  Mrs.  Sarah  B.  Judson's  Handwriting. 


As  there  is  no  portrait  in  existence  of  Mrs.  Sarah  B.  Judson,  the  above 
fac-simile  of  her  handwriting  may  interest  the  reader.  These  verses,  from 
Moore,  were  written  b}'  her  on  the  fly-leaf  of  a  small  volume  of  devotional 
poems,  published  at  Philadelphia  m  182S,  presented  by  her  to  her  husband. 
Many  of  the  poems  in  this  little  book  bear  the  marks  of  Mr.  Judson's 
pencil  as  being  of  peculiar  interest  to  him.  Among  those  marked  is  the 
following : 

+    THE    REFUGE. 

Art  thou  oppressed  or  reviled  ? 
Then  act  but  like  a  simple  child, 
WTiG  does  not  dare  the  point  contest, 
Bat  hastens  to  its  mother's  breast ; 
Bows  in  submission  to  her  laws. 
And  leaves  her  to  support  its  cause. 
Thus  to  thy  blessed  Saviour  flee  ; 
Stand  still !    thy  God  shall  fight  for  thee. 


Fac-Simile  of  Mr.  Judson's  Handwriting. 


The  above  inscription  was  written  by  Mr.  Judson  on  the 
fly-leaf  of  a  volume  of  Burmese  Hymns,  compiled  by  Mrs. 
Sarah  B.  Judson,  and  presented  by  him  to  a  lady  in  New 
York. 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


457 


added  to  their  number.  Those  dear,  sympathizing,  Christian 
friends  received  the  body  of  the  deceased  from  my  hands  as 
a  sacred  deposit,  united  with  our  kind  captain,  John  Codman, 
Jr.,  of  Dorchester,  in  defraying  all  the  expenses  of  the 
funeral,  and  promised  to  take  care  of  the  grave,  and  see  to 
the  erection  of  the  gravestones  which  I  am  to  forward,  and 
on  which  I  propose  to  place  the  following  inscription  : 

"'Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Sarah  B.  Judson,  member  ol 
the  American  Baptist  mission  to  Burmah,  formerly  wife  of 
the  Rev.  George  D.  Boardman,  of  Tavoy,  and  lately  wife  of 
the  Rev.  Adoniram  Judson,  of  Maulmain,  who  died  in  this 
port,  September  i,  1845,  on  her  passage  to  the  United  States, 
in  the  forty-second  year  of  her  age,  and  in  the  twenty-first  of 
her  missionary  life. 

"  '  She  sleeps  sweetly  here,  on  this  rock  of  the  ocean, 
Away  from  the  home  of  her  youth, 
And  far  from  the  land  where,  with  heartfelt  devotion, 
She  scattered  the  bright  beams  of  truth.'  " 

"Mournfully,  tenderly, 

Bear  onward  the  dead. 
Where  the  Warrior  has  lain. 

Let  the  Christian  be  laid  ; 
No  place  more  befitting. 

Oh,  Rock  of  the  sea  ! 
Never  suoh  treasure 

Was  hidden  in  thee  ! 

"  Mournfully,  tenderly. 

Solemn  and  slow. — 
Tears  are  bedewing 

The  path  as  ye  go  ; 
Kindred  and  strangers 

Are  mourners  to-day  ; 
Gently — so,  gently — 

Oh,  bear  her  away. 

"  Mournfully,  tenderly, 
Gaze  on  that  brow  ; 
Beautiful  is  it 

In  quietude  now  ! 


458  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

One  look — and  then  settle 

The  loved  to  her  rest, 
The  ocean  beneath  her, 

The  turf  on  her  breast. 

*'  So  have  ye  buried  her — 

Up  ! — and  depart, 
To  life  and  to  duty, 

With  undismayed  heart ! 
Fear  not ;  for  the  love 

Of  the  stranger  will  keep 
The  casket  that  lies 

In  the  Rock  of  the  deep, 

"  Peace,  peace  to  thy  bosom. 

Thou  servant  of  God  ! 
The  vale  thou  art  treading 

Thou  hast  before  trod  : 
Precious  dust  thou  hast  laid 

By  the  Hopia-tree, 
And  treasure  as  precious 

In  the  Rock  of  the  sea."* 

The  Sophia  Walker,  with  Mr.  Judson  and  his  three  chil- 
dren on  board,  arrived  at  Boston  October  15,  1845.  The 
missionary  who  had  been  so  long  absent  from  his  native 
land  felt  considerable  anxiety  before  going  on  shore  as  to 
where  he  should  secure  suitable  lodgings  in  the  city.  He 
little  dreamed  that  every  home  would  be  thrown  open  to 
him,  and  that  soon  his  progress  from  city  to  city  would 
almost  assume  the  proportions  of  a  triumphal  march.  He 
was  ill  prepared  for  such  an  enthusiastic  greeting.  He  nat- 
urally shrank  from  observation.  He  was  in  exceedingly 
delicate  health.  His  pulmonary  difficulty  prevented  his 
speaking  much  above  a  husky  whisper.  He  had  so  long 
used  a  foreign  tongue  that  it  was  hard  work  for  him  to  form 
sentences  in  English.  He  could  address  an  audience  only 
at  second-hand,  whispering  his  words  to  a  speaker  at  his 
side,  who  would   convey  them  to  the   ears  of  the  hearers. 


By  H.  S.  Washburn,  Boston. 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


459 


Naturally  humble  and  shy,  he  found  it  exceedingly  distaste- 
ful to  be  publicly  harangued  and  eulogized.  On  one  occa- 
sion, an  eye-witness*  relates  that  while  the  returned  mis- 
sionary was  listening  to  words  of  eloquent  praise  addressed 
to  him  in  the  presence  of  a  great  concourse  of  people,  "  his 
head  sank  lower  and  lower  until  the  chin  seemed  to  touch 
his  breast."  He  wrote  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary : 
"  My  chief  object  in  writing  is  to  beg  that  I  may  be  excused 
from  attending  any  more  such  meetings  until  I  get  a  little 
better.  I  expect  to  be  in  Boston  to-morrow,  and  shall  want 
two  or  three  days  for  some  necessary  business,  and  propose 
to  go  to  Worcester  on  Friday  or  Saturday ;  and  if  I  could 
spend  next  Sabbath  alone  in  some  chamber,  I  should  feel  it 
a  great  privilege,  both  as  a  refreshment  to  the  soul  and  a 
relief  to  the  body." 

He  had  come  home  to  find  that  his  native  country  was 
almost  a  strange  land.  The  railroad  system  had  sprung 
into  existence  during  his  absence.  He  entered  the  cars  at 
Worcester  one  day,  and  had  just  taken  his  seat,  when  a  boy 
came  along  with  the  daily  newspapers.f  He  said  to  Mr. 
Judson,  "Do  you  want  a  paper,  sir?"  "Yes,  thank  you," 
the  missionary  replied,  and  taking  the  paper  began  to  read. 
The  newsboy  stood  waiting  for  his  pay  until  a  lady  passen- 
ger, occupying  the  same  seat  with  Mr.  Judson,  said  to  him, 
"  The  boy  expects  to  be  paid  for  his  paper."  "  Why,"  re- 
plied the  missionary,  with  the  utmost  surprise,  "  I  have  been 
distributing  papers  gratuitously  in  Burmah  so  long  that  I 
had  no  idea  the  boy  was  expecting  any  pay." 

He  often  disappointed  public  assemblies  by  declining  to 
relate  his  own  adventures,  telling  instead  the  old  story  of 
the  cross.  A  lady  thus  describes  an  address  which  he  made 
in  the  little  country  church  in  Eaton,  New  York : 

"  After  the  usual  sermon  was  over,  he  spoke  for  about  fifteen  minutes, 
with  singular  simplicity,  and,  as  I  thought,  with  touching  pathos,  of  thr 

*  Mr.  Thomas  Nickerson,  of  Newton  Centre. 

t  I  am  indebted  for  this  reminiscence  to  Mr.  H.  S.  Washburn,  of  Boston. 


460  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

'precious  Saviour,'  what  He  has  done  for  us,  and  what  we  owe  to  Him. 
As  he  sat  down,  however,  it  was  evident,  even  to  the  most  unobservant 
eye,  that  most  of  the  listeners  were  disappointed.  After  the  exercises 
were  over,  several  persons  inquired  of  me,  frankly,  why  Dr.  Judson  had 
not  talked  of  something  else  ;  why  he  had  not  told  a  stor}-,  etc.,  etc. ; 
while  others  signified  their  disappointment  by  not  alluding  to  his  having 
spoken  at  all.     On  the  way  home,  I  mentioned  the  subject  to  him. 

"  '  Why,  what  did  they  want.^* '  he  inquired  ;  '  I  presented  the  most  in- 
teresting subject  in  the  world,  to  the  best  of  my  ability.' 

"  '  But  they  wanted  something  different — a  story.' 

'"Well,  I  am  sure  I  gave  them  a  story — the  most  thrilling  one  that 
can  be  conceived  of.' 

" '  But  they  had  heard  it  before.  They  wanted  something  new  of  a 
man  who  had  just  come  from  the  antipodes.' 

" '  Then  I  am  glad  to  have  it  to  say,  that  a  man  coming  from  the  an- 
tipodes had  nothing  better  to  tell  than  the  wondrous  stoiy  of  Jesus'  dy- 
ing love.  My  business  is  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  when  I  can 
speak  at  all,  I  dare  not  trifle  with  my  commission.  When  I  looked  upon 
those  people  to-day,  and  remembered  where  I  should  next  meet  them, 
how  could  I  stand  up  and  furnish  food  to  vain  curiosity — tickle  their 
fancies  with  amusing  stories,  however  decently  strung  together  on  a 
thread  of  religion  }  That  is  not  what  Christ  meant  by  preaching  the 
Gospel.  And  then,  how  could  1  hereafter  meet  the  fearful  charge,  "  I 
gave  you  one  opportunity  to  tell  them  of  me — you  spent  it  in  describing 
your  own  adventures  i  " '  " 

The  following  reminiscence  of  Mr.  Judson's  preaching  in 
Plymouth  has  been  kindly  contributed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  D. 
W.  Faunce,  now  of  Washington,  D.  C. : 

"  The  old  church  was  crowded,  and  I  was  able  to  find  a  seat  only  in 
a  corner  of  the  gallery.  Shall  I  confess  my  disappointment,  at  first, 
when  a  slim,  worn  man,  with  a  weary  voice,  rose  in  the  pu'pit  after  the 
pastor  had  conducted  the  opening  exercises,  and  gave  out  his  text,  '  These 
are  they  that  follow  the  Lmnb.' 

"  Trained  in  a  religious  household,  where  missionary  names,  and 
especially  those  of  Judson  and  Rice,  were  familiar  words,  somehow,  in 
my  boyish  fancy  I  had  thought  of  him  as  a  great  orator,  with  a  loud 
voice  and  commanding  tones,  who  would  sweep  down  all  before  him 
with  a  resistless  eloquence.  Hence  my  disappointment.  But  as  he  went 
en,  in  simple  language,  to  unfold  his  thought,  and  repeated  over  and  over 
again  his  one  theme,  pleasing  Jesus,  somehow  I  forgot  all  about  elo- 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  461 

quence.  There  stole  over  me,  a  boy  convert  of  only  a  few  months'  stand- 
in,;^,  a  great  tenderness.  Was  this  venerated  man  influenced  in  all  he 
had  done  by  the  simple  thought  of  pleasing  Jesus?  Well,  then,  might 
not  I,  boy  as  I  was,  strive  to  please  Jesus  also  ?  My  eyes  began  to  fill, 
and  my  heart  was  in  my  throat.  Was  there  anything  1  could  do  to  please 
Jesus  ?  A  hundred  times  since,  the  single  simple  thought  of  that  sermon 
has  come  to  me,  and  the  memory  of  that  summer  afternoon  in  the  corner 
of  the  gallery,  and  the  scene  and  the  words  have  been  an  inspiration. 
And  if  that  is  eloquence  which  gets  its  thought  written  imperishably 
upon  the  heart  of  an  auditor,  then  the  simple,  almost  childlike  words  of 
that  hour  were  truly  eloquent." 

Mr.  Judson's  movements  in  this  country  were  chronicled 
alike  by  the  secular  and  religious  newspapers.  His  toils 
and  sufferings  had  made  his  name  a  household  word  among 
all  Christians,  and  wherever  he  went,  the  churches  were 
crowded  with  people  who  desired  to  see  and  to  hear  America's 
pioneer  missionary.  On  the  evening  of  the  second  day 
after  his  arrival,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  Bowdoin  Square 
church,  Boston.  The  following  words  of  welcome  were 
spoken  by  Dr.  Sharp  : 

"  There  are  some  feelings,"  said  Dr.  Sharp,  "  which  are  too  sacred  for 
public  utterance.  There  are  sentiments  of  respect  and  regard  which, 
when  whispered  to  the  ear,  or  spoken  in  the  privacy  of  confidential  inter- 
course, are  pleasant  and  refreshing  as  the  breath  of  spring,  but  which 
lose  their  fragrance  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  public  assembly.  Were  I  to 
express  my  own  feelings  toward  yourself — my  admiration,  my  confidence, 
my  gratitude,  my  regard — I  should  say  many  things  that  in  this  assembly 
would  seem  out  of  place.  I  may,  however,  without  violating  Christian 
propriety,  speak  m  behalf  6i  iht  public  in  \\\q.  presence  of  the  public. 

"  I  may  say,  without  the  semblance  of  flattery  or  adulation,  the  de- 
nomination have  cherished  a  deep,  and  affectionate,  and  grateful  interest 
in  your  labors.  They  have  wondered  at  your  steady  and  unfaltering 
perseverance;  they  have  admired  your  disinterested  and  self-denying 
course ;  and  they  have  tenderly  sympathized  with  you,  and  prayed  for 
you,  when  they  heard  of  your  personal  sufferings,  your  imprisonment, 
and  loss  of  personal  liberty,  and  when  they  have  heard  of  those  greater 
losses,  to  which,  in  the  death  of  loved  and  cherished  ones,  you  have  been 
subjected.  And  they  have  rejoiced  with  you,  not,  indeed,  that  all  your 
work  was  done,  but  that  a  glorious  work  was  done,  when,  in  humble 
prostration  before  the  beneficent  Author  of  revelation,   you   devoutly 


462  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOY. 

thanked  Him  that  you  had  completed  the  translation  of  the  '^''oly  Script- 
ures in  the  Burman  language.  That  was  a  memorable  day,  not  only  in 
the  history  of  your  own  life,  but  in  the  history  of  missions. 

"  We  can  only  pray,  dear  brother,  that,  after  a  still  more  extended  and 
critical  knowledge  of  the  Burman  language,  the  result  of  patient  and 
laboriojs  study  and  research,  your  life  may  be  prolonged  to  revise  and 
amenr!  your  translation  of  those  soul-sanctifying  and  soul-comforting 
truths  which  tell  with  wondrous  power  in  any  language  in  which  a  ver- 
sion of  them  is  given.  Your  prosecution  of  that  other  gre^it  work,  to 
which  your  mind,  and  pen,  and  days  are  given — a  Burman  dictionar\- — 
at  the  completion  of  which  you  may  well  rest  from  your  labors,  will  aid 
you  greatly  in  giving  your  last  correcting  touch  to  the  Burman  Scriptures. 
Our  prayer  will  be,  in  submission  to  God's  will,  that  you  may  live  until 
you  have  sent  out  to  the  world  the  volumes  which  will  not  only  shed 
their  radiant  light  on  the  Scriptures,  but  will  quicken  and  elevate  the 
common  mind  of  India. 

"  And  now,  dear  brother,  withdrawn  as  you  have  been,  by  an  afflictive 
dispensation  of  Providence,  from  your  chosen  and  loved  labors,  allow  me 
to  say,  in  behalf  of  your  ministering  brethren,  and  other  brethren  and 
friends :  We  welcome  you  to  your  native  land ;  we  welcome  you  to  the 
scenes  of  your  early  and  manly  youth ;  we  welcome  you  to  our  worship- 
ping assemblies  ;  we  welcome  you  to  our  hearts.  As  the  representative 
of  the  ministers  and  private  Christians  present,  I  give  to  you  this  hand  of 
cordial  welcome,  of  sympathy,  of  approbation,  and  of  love.  And  I  be- 
lieve, could  all  our  denomination  be  collected  in  one  vast  assembly,  they 
would  request  and  empower  some  one  to  perform  this  service  for  them  ; 
or,  rather,  each  one  would  prefer  to  give  this  significant  token  of  love, 
and  respect,  and  good  wishes,  for  himself.  Were  it  possible,  and  could 
your  strength  hold  out,  and  your  hand  bear  the  grasp  and  the  cordial 
shake  of  so  many,  I  could  wish  that  every  one  who  loves  the  Bible  and 
missions  might  be  his  own  representative,  and  give  to  you,  as  I  do,  the 
hand  of  an  honest,  unchanging,  and  cordial  good-will." 

And  at  the  close,  Mr.  Judson  rose  to  reply,  Dr.  Hague 
standing  at  his  side  and  interpreting  to  the  multitude  these 
whispered  utterances : 

"Through  the  mercy  of  God  I  am  permitted  to  stand  be- 
fore you  here  this  evening  a  pensioner  of  your  bounty.  I 
desire  to  thank  you  for  all  your  sympathy  and  aid,  and  I  pray 

God's  blessing  to  rest  upon  you All  that  has  been  done 

in  Burmah  has  been  done  by  the  churches,  through  the  feeble 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  463 

and  unworthy  instrumentality  of  myself  and  my  brethien. 
....  It  is  one  of  the  severest  trials  of  my  life  not  to  be  able 
to  lift  up  my  voice,  and  give  free  utterance  to  my  feelings 
before  this  congregation  ;  but  repeated  trials  have  assured 
me  that  I  can  not  safely  attempt  it.  And  I  am  much  influ- 
enced by  the  circumstance  that  it  was  a  request  of  my  wife, 
in  her  dying  hour,  that  I  would  not  address  public  meetings 

on  my  arrival I  will  only  add,  that  I  beg  your  prayers 

for  the  brethren  I  have  left  in  Burmah  ;  for  the  feeble  churches 
we  have  planted  there  ;  and  that  the  good  work  of  God's 
grace  may  go  on  until  the  world  shall  be  filled  with  His 
glory." 

When  he  had  finished,  Dr.  Hague  continued  to  address 
the  audience  in  an  eloquent  strain  until  the  thread  of  his 
address  was  strangely  interrupted.  A  man  had  pressed  his 
way  through  the  crowded  aisles  and  had  ascended  the  pul- 
pit. He  and  Mr.  Judson  embraced  each  other  with  tears  of 
joy  and  affection.  It  was  Samuel  Nott,  Jr.,  the  only  survi- 
vor, except  Mr.  Judson,  of  that  group  of  seminary  students 
who  had  conceived  the  stupendous  idea  of  American  foreign 
missions.  He  was  one  of  the  five  who  had  first  gone  to 
India,  but  had  been  compelled  to  return  to  America  on  ac- 
count of  ill  health,  and  now,  after  a  separation  of  thirty- 
three  years,  was  permitted  to  meet  his  former  fellow-student 
under  these  circumstances  of  thrilling  interest.  Mr.  Nott 
addressed  the  meeting,  with  much  emotion,  and  said : 

"  More  than  thirty  years  ago  he  gave  his  brother  the  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship, and  when  he  became  a  Baptist  it  was  not  withdrawn.  One  re- 
flection most  solemnly  impressed  him — of  the  five  who  went  out  to  India, 
three  are  dead.  The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth,  but  the  word  of 
our  God  shall  stand  forever.  In  a  little  while  they  would  all  be  gone,  and 
every  agency  now  employed  pass  away ;  but  God's  word  will  stand  fast, 
and  prevail  over  all  the  earth.  He  then  referred  to  the  small  beginning 
of  the  American  Board,  as  well  as  the  Baptist,  their  trust  in  God,  and 
the  present  great  and  glorious  work  which  is  exhibited  to  us  in  contrast. 
The  missionary  movement  in  this  country  originated  simultaneously  in 
different  hearts;  the  spirit  of  the  Most  High,  and  not  human  influence, 
gave  it  birth.     He  deemed  it  a  very  trifling  question  whether  Adoniram 


464  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

Judson  or  Samuel  J.  Mills  was  the  originator  of  foreign  missions.  Samuel 
Nott,  Jr.,  certainly  was  not.  They  were  all  mere  boys,  but  with  God's 
blessing  on  their  puerile  efforts,  they  had  begun  an  influence  which  is 
spreading  over  the  world." 

In  November  Mr.  Judson  visited  Providence,  the  seat  of 
Brown  University,  where  he  had  been  graduated  about  forty 
years  before,  with  the  highest  honors.  A  public  meeting 
was  held  in  the  old  First  Baptist  church,  which  was  filled  to 
overflowing.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Dr.  Granger,  the  pastor 
of  the  church,  and  Dr.  Wayland  made  an  address.  Mr. 
Judson  then  said  a  few  words,  which  were  interpreted  to 
the  audience  by  Dr.  Caswell : 

"  The  first  wish  of  his  heart  was  to  express,  in  behalf  of 
himself  and  his  missionary  brethren,  his  deep  sense  of  grati- 
tude to  the  church  usually  worshipping  in  that  house,  as  one 
of  the  foremost  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  work  of  mis- 
sions, and  especially  for  their  contributions  to  the  support 
of  the  pastor  of  the  native  church  in  Rangoon.  In  the  early 
part  of  his  residence  in  Rangoon,  a  Burman  philosopher,  at- 
tended by  his  pupils,  on  their  way  to  a  neighboring  pagoda, 
was  wont  to  pass  the  place  where  he  lived  and  from  which 
he  instructed  the  people.  On  one  occasion  the  philosopher 
was  stopped  by  the  crowd  gathered  about  him,  and  his  eye 
accidentally  fell  upon  the  first  tract  that  was  published  in 
the  Burmese  language,  the  opening  words  of  which  announced 
the  existence  of  a  livings  eternal  God.  These  significant  words 
arrested  his  whole  attention,  and  he  stood  a  long  time,  as  in 
profound  thought,  his  whole  soul  absorbed  with  the  great 
truth  which  they  taught.  To  himself,  as  well  as  the  whole 
nation,  this  was  a  new  idea,  and  it  led  to  a  long  course  of 
study  and  investigation,  which  finally  resulted  in  the  renun- 
ciation of  the  religion  of  his  country,  and  the  adoption  of 
Christianity. 

"  He  was  baptized,  and  commenced  a  course  of  zealous 
labor  as  a  Christian  teacher.  He  soon  became  obnoxious 
to  the  Government,  and  was  tried  and  condemned  to  death. 
But  before  the  day  of  execution  came  on,  he  effected  his  es- 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  465 

cape,  and  fled  from  the  city.  Since  that  time  he  had  never 
seen  him,  nor  learned  any  particulars  of  his  life,  but  had  fre- 
quently heard  of  him  through  persons  who  came  a  long  dis- 
tance from  the  interior  in  search  of  tracts  and  Bibles,  having 
been  awakened  to  inquiry,  and  converted  to  the  Christian 
faith,  by  his  instructions.  The  native  pastor,  to  whom  refer- 
ence had  been  made,  was  once  a  pupil  of  this  Burman  phi- 
losopher, and  afterward  his  disciple  in  the  better  school  of 
Christian  truth.  After  this  interesting  allusion  to  this  signal 
instance  of  the  effect  of  Christian  missions.  Dr.  Judson  ob- 
served that  for  more  than  thirty-three  years  he  had  been  liv- 
ing in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  practical  atheists,  whose  sole 
object  of  worship  was  the  image  of  a  being  called  Gaudama, 
who  had  lived  some  two  thousand  years  ago. 

"  The  image  of  this  being  they  were  taught  to  worship  from 
their  earliest  infancy  ;  mothers  bringing  to  it  their  little  chil- 
dren in  their  arms,  and  teaching  them  to  clasp  it  with  the 
affection  of  infantile  devotion.  Through  the  blessing  of  God 
much  good  had  been  done,  multitudes  converted,  and  churches 
formed  ;  and  nothing  but  the  toleration  of  Government 
seemed  wanting  to  give  the  blessings  of  Christianity  to  the 
whole  nation.  On  returning  to  his  native  land  after  so  long 
an  absence,  he  saw  on  all  sides  much  to  admire  and  love  ; 
but  he  must  confess  that  the  conversion  of  one  immortal  soul 
on  those  heathen  shores  awakened  within  him  deeper  emotion 
than  all  the  beauty  of  this  glorious  land.  The  greatest  favor 
he  could  ask  of  his  Christian  friends  was,  to  permit  him  to 
return  as  soon  as  possible  to  his  home  on  the  banks  of  the 
Salwen  ;  those  banks  from  which  he  had  led  so  many  happy 
converts  into  the  baptismal  waters  ;  those  banks  which  had 
so  often  resounded  with  the  notes  of  a  baptismal  song,  com- 
posed by  her  whom  he  had  so  lately  lost,  who  had  now  left 
her  task  of  making  hymns  on  earth  for  the  higher  and  better 
one  of  singing  with  angels  and  ransomed  spirits  that  *  new 
song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb.'  'May  it  be  ours,' were  the 
last  words  of  the  speaker,  '  to  meet  her  there  at  last,  and  join 
that  holy  throng  whom  no  man  can  number,  who  rest  not 
day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty! ' ' 

30 


466  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  I  RAM  yjDSO-V. 

The  missionary  organization  which  had  sustained  Mr.  Jud- 
son  in  Burmah  for  so  many  years,  opened  its  triennial  con- 
vention in  New  York  city  on  the  19th  of  November,  1845. 
The  occasion  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  Services  were 
held  in  the  Baptist  Tabernacle,  and  Mr.  Judson  was  present. 
Dr.  Cone  offered  some  appropriate  resolutions  of  sympathy 
and  welcome,  and  then,  taking  Mr.  Judson  by  the  hand,  he 
introduced  him  to  Dr.  Wayland,  the  President  of  the  Con- 
vention, 2iS /cs7is  Chrisfs man.  In  the  presence  of  the  vast 
and  deeply-affected  concourse.  Dr.  Wayland  gave  the  veteran 
missionary  a  most  impressive  welcome  : 

"It  is  with  no  ordinary  feelings,  my  beloved  brother,  that  I  rise  to 
discharge  the  duty  imposed  upon  me  by  the  resolution  which  you  have 
this  moment  heard.  My  own  heart  assures  me  that  language  is  inade- 
quate to  express  the  sentiments  of  your  brethren  on  the  present  occasion. 

"  Thirty-three  years  since,  you  and  a  few  other  servants  of  the  most 
high  God,  relying  simply  upon  His  promises,  left  your  native  land  to  carry 
the  message  of  Christ  to  the  heathen.  You  were  the  first  offering  of  the 
American  churches  to  the  Gentiles.  You  went  forth  amid  the  sneers  of 
the  thoughtless,  and  with  only  the  cold  and  reluctant  consent  of  many 
of  your  brethren.  The  general  voice  declared  your  undertaking  fanatical, 
and  those  who  cowered  under  its  rebuke  drew  back  from  you  in  alarm. 
On  the  voyage  your  views  respecting  Christian  ordinances  became 
changed,  and  this  change  gave  rise  to  the  convention  now  in  session  be- 
fore you. 

"When  at  length  you  arrived  in  India,  more  formidable  obstacles  than 
those  arising  from  paganism  were  thrown  in  your  path.  The  mightiest 
empire  that  the  world  has  ever  seen  forbade  every  attempt  to  preach 
Christ  to  the  countless  millions  subjected  to  her  sway,  and  ordered  you 
peremptorily  from  her  shores.  Escaping  from  her  power,  you  took  refuge 
in  the  Isle  of  France,  and  at  last,  after  many  perils,  arrived  at  Rangoon, 
where,  out  of  the  reach  of  Christian  power,  you  were  permitted  to  enter 
upon  your  labors  of  love. 

"  Af:er  years  of  toil  you  were  able  to  preach  Christ  to  the  Burmans, 
and  men  began  to  inquire  after  the  eternal  God.  The  intolerance  of  the 
Government  then  became  apparent,  and  you  proceeded  to  Ava  to  plead 
the  cause  of  toleration  before  the  emperor.  Your  second  attempt  was 
successful,  and  permission  was  granted  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  cap- 
ital itself.  But  how  inscrutable  are  the  ways  of  Providence  !  Your  labors 
had  just  commenced  when  a  British  army  took  possession  of  Rangoon, 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  467 

and  you  and  your  fellow-laborer,  the  late  Dr.  Price,  were  cast  into  a 
loathsome  dung-eon,  and  loaded  with  chains.  For  nearly  two  years  you 
suffered  all  that  barbarian  cruelty  could  inflict;  and  to  the  special  inter- 
position of  God  alone  is  it  to  be  ascribed  that  your  imprisonment  was  not 
terminated  by  a  violent  death.  On  you,  more  than  any  other  missionary 
of  modem  times,  has  been  conferred  the  distinction  of  suffering  for 
Christ.  Your  limbs  have  been  galled  with  fetters,  and  you  have  tracked 
with  bleeding  feet  the  burning  sands  between  Ava  and  Oung-pen-la. 

"  With  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  you  may  say,  '  Henceforth  let  no 
man  trouble  me  ;  I  bear  in  my  body  the  scars  of  the  Lord  Jesus.'  Yet, 
even  here  God  did  not  leave  you  comfortless.  He  had  provided  an  angel 
to  minister  to  your  wants,  and  when  her  errand  was  accomplished,  took 
her  to  Himself,  and  the  hopia-tree  marks  the  spot  whence  her  spirit  as- 
cended. From  prison  and  from  chains,  God,  in  Hir.  own  time,  delivered 
you,  and  made  your  assistance  of  special  importance  in  negotiating  a 
treaty  of  peace  between  these  two  nations;  one  of  whom  had  driven  you 
from  her  shores,  and  the  other  had  inflicted  upon  you  every  cruelty  but 
death. 

"  Since  this  period,  the  prime  of  your  life  has  been  spent  in  laboring 
to  bless  the  people  who  had  so  barbarously  persecuted  you.  Almost  all 
the  Christian  literature  in  their  language  has  proceeded  from  your  pen  ; 
your  own  hand  has  given  to  the  nation  the  oracles  of  God,  and  opened 
to  the  millions  now  living,  and  to  those  that  shall  come  after  them  to  the 
end  of  time,  the  door  of  everlasting  life.  That  mysterious  Providence 
which  shut  you  out  from  Burmah  proper  has  introduced  you  to  the 
Karens — a  people  who  seem  to  have  preserved,  from  remote  antiquity, 
the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  who  were  waiting  to  receive  the  mes- 
sage of  His  Son.  To  them  you,  and  those  who  have  followed  in  your 
footsteps,  have  made  known  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  they  by  thou- 
sands have  flocked  to  the  standard  of  the  cross. 

"  After  years  spent  in  unremitted  toil,  the  providence  of  God  has  brought 
you  to  be  present  with  us  at  this  important  crisis.  We  sympathize  with 
you  in  all  the  sorrows  of  your  painful  voyage.  May  God  sustain  you  in 
your  sore  bereavement,  and  cause  even  this  mysterious  dispensation  to 
work  out  for  you  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 

"  How  changed  is  the  moral  aspect  of  the  world  since  you  first  entered 
upon  your  labors  !  Then  no  pagan  nation  had  heard  the  name  of  Christ 
from  American  lips  ;  at  present  churches  of  Christ,  planted  by  American 
benevolence,  are  springing  up  in  almost  every  heathen  nation.  The 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  the  islands  of  the  sea,  the  thronged  cities 
and  the  wild  jungles  of  India,  are  resounding  with  the  high  praises  of 
God,  in  strains  first  taught  by  American  missionaries.     The  nation  that 


468  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

drove  you  from  her  shores  has  learned  to  foster  the  messenger  of  the 
cross  with  parental  solicitude.  You  return  to  your  native  land,  whence 
you  were  suffered  to  depart  almost  without  her  blessing-,  and  you  find 
that  the  missionary  enterprise  has  kindled  a  flame  that  can  never  be 
quenched  in  the  heart  of  the  universal  Church,  and  that  every  Christian, 
and  every  philanthropist  comes  forward  to  tender  to  you  the  homage  due 
to  the  man  through  whose  sufferings,  labors,  and  examples  these  changes 
have,  to  so  great  a  degree,  been  effected.  In  behalf  of  our  brethren,  in 
behalf  of  the  whole  Church  of  Christ,  we  welcome  you  back  to  the  land 
of  your  fathers.  God  grant  that  your  life  may  long  be  preserved,  and 
that  what  you  have  seen  may  prove  to  be  but  the  beginning  of  blessing 
to  our  churches  at  home  and  to  the  heathen  abroad." 

Mr.  Judson,  who  had  been  warned  by  his  physicians 
against  speaking  in  public,  could  only  express  his  thankful- 
ness in  a  few  simple  and  touching  words.  Subsequently, 
in  the  course  of  the  convention,  the  proposition  was  made 
to  abandon  the  mission  in  Arracan.  This  brought  him  to 
his  feet.  "  Though  forbidden  to  speak  by  my  medical  ad- 
viser, I  must  say  a  few  words.  I  must  protest  against  the 
abandonment  of  the  Arracan  mission."  These  opening 
words  were  audible  to  all  present.  Then  his  voice  sunk 
into  a  whisper  as  he  stated  the  reasons  why  the  mission 
should  not  be  given  up.  His  closing  words  were:  "  If  the 
convention  think  my  services  can  be  dispensed  with  in  finish- 
ing my  dictionary,  I  will  go  immediately  to  Arracan  ;  or  if 
God  should  spare  my  life  to  finish  my  dictionary,  I  will  go 
there  afterward  and  labor  there  and  die,  and  be  buried 
there,"  It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  thrilling 
effect  upon  the  audience  of  these  broken  words,  uttered  in 
a  low  whisper,  and  reproduced  by  Dr.  Cone.  The  Arracan 
mission  was  saved. 

While  Mr.  Judson  was  visiting  Bradford,  the  native  town 
of  his  beloved  Ann,  he  learned  of  the  death  of  Charlie,  one 
of  the  little  ones  whom  he  had  left  behind  in  Burmah.  He 
conveys  the  sad  intelligence  to  his  sons  Adoniram  and 
Elnathan,  and  adds : 

"  So  it  appeared  that  Charlie  died  twenty-six  days  before 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  469 

his  mother,  and  he  was  ready  to  welcome  her  at  the  gates  of 
Paradise.  They  must  have  had  a  very  happy  meeting.  As  he 
was  her  favorite  child  on  account  of  being  long  ill,  how  happy 
she  must  have  been  to  take  him  in  her  arms  in  that  state 
where  there  is  no  more  sickness  or  death  !  O  that  we  may 
all  meet  them  and  be  so  happy  together  !  " 

A  few  of  the  addresses  which  Mr.  Judson  delivered  while 
in  this  country  have  been  preserved,  and  the  reader  may  bo 
interested  in  the  appended  extracts. 

Address  at  a  Missionary  Meeting  in  Philadelphia. 

"  Be  ye  imitators  of  me,  as  I  am  of  Christ,  is  a  divine  com 
mand.  There  is  one  Being  in  the  universe  who  unites  in 
Himself  all  the  excellences  of  the  human  and  divine  nature — 
that  being  is  Jesus  Christ.  To  become  like  Jesus  Christ,  we 
must  be  like  Him,  not  only  in  spirit  and  character,  but  in  the 
whole  course  and  conduct  of  life  ;  and  to  become  like  Him 
ought  to  be  our  whole  aim.  In  order  to  this,  it  is  necessary 
to, ascertain  the  leading  characteristics  of  that  glorious  Be- 
ing. It  appears  from  the  inspired  writings,  that  one  leading 
characteristic  of  Christ  was,  that  '  He  went  about  doing 
good.'  To  be  like  Him,  we  must  go  about — not  merely  stay 
and  do  good,  but  go  and  do  good.  There  is  another  charac- 
teristic which  we  should  consider.  He  led  the  life  of  a  mis  • 
sionary.  In  order,  therefore,  to  be  like  Him  in  this  particu- 
lar, we  must  endeavor,  as  far  as  possible,  to  lead  the  life  o; 
missionaries.  Before  my  arrival  in  Burmah,  there  were 
about  seven  millions  of  men,  women,  and  children,  who  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  of  salvation  through. 
Jesus  Christ.  They  did  not  believe  in  the  existence  of  an 
eternal  God.  They  believed  that  when  they  died  they  would 
be  clianged  into  beasts,  or  be  annihilated.  Their  only  object 
in  worship  was  to  obtain  some  mitigation  of  suffering.  They 
never  expected  to  meet  their  friends  again  after  death.  Im- 
agine yourselves,  my  Christian  friends,  in  their  state  without 
a  knowledge  of  God.  Suppose,  while  in  that  state,  you  heard 
that  in  some  isle  of  the  sea  were  those  who  had  received  a 


470  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON. 

revelation,  informing  them  that  God  had- sent  His  own  Son 
to  open  a  way  to  everlasting  life  ;  would  you  not  rejoice,  if 
some  one  should  come  to  show  you  that  way  to  heaven  ? 
Would  not  some  of  you  believe  ?  Would  you  not  leap  with 
joy,  and  kiss  the  feet  of  those  who  brought  you  the  good 
tidings  ?  Would  you  not,  under  these  circumstances,  desire 
that  a  messenger  should  come  to  you  ?  *  As  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them.'  I  should  re- 
joice to  address  the  assembly  at  large,  but  my  physicians 
have  forbidden  me,  and  I  must  commit  this  duty  to  others 
who  are  to  follow.  But  allow  me  to  say,  that  I  regard  the 
office  of  the  missionary  as  a  most  glorious  occupation,  be- 
cause the  faithful  missionary  is  engaged  in  a  work  which  is 
like  that  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  a  missionar}^  who  is 
unfaithful  sinks  the  lowest  of  his  species  in  guilt  and  igno- 
miny. Happy  are  they  who  can  in  this  respect  follow  Christ. 
But  the  Lord  Jesus  is  not  now  a  missionary.  He  has  retired 
from  this  employment,  and  now  employs  Himself  in  sustain- 
ing His  missionaries,  with  the  promise,  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  to  the  end.'  If  you  can  not,  therefore,  become 
a  missionary,  sustain  by  your  prayers,  your  influence,  and 
your  property,  those  who  are.  In  these  ways  Jesus  Christ 
now  sustains  them.  By  Wxs,  prayers,  as  Advocate  and  Inter- 
cessor with  the  Father  ;  by  His  influence,  as  He  is  vested 
with  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth  ;  by  His  property,  by 
pouring  out  fresh  supplies  of  His  Spirit,  and  opening  the 
hearts  of  His  children  to  contribute.  In  order,  therefore,  to 
be  like  Christ,  go  about  doing  good  ;  and  if  it  is  not  in  your 
power  to  give  yourselves  to  this  work,  give  your  prayers, 
your  influence,  and  your  property.  So  far  as  we  are  like 
Christ  in  this  world,  so  far  shall  we  be  like  Him  through 
eternity.  So  far  as  we  sustain  this  cause,  which  is  peculiarly 
the  cause  of  God,  so  far  shall  we  be  happy  through  endless 
ages." 

At  a  meeting  in  Washington,  D.  C,  he  said  : 

"  When  he  first  visited  Burmah,  the  idea  of  an  eternal  God 
A-as  not  believed  nor  entertained  by  any  of  the  Buimans 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  471 

and  nothing  more  than  this  idea  was  entertained  by  the 
Karens  ;  but  now  the  former  had  in  their  own  language  the 
whole  Word  of  God  ;  and  the  New  Testament,  and  parts  of 
the  Old,  had  been  translated,  by  American  missionaries,  into 
several  other  languages  of  the  East.  He  spoke  of  our  mis- 
sions as  expensive,  as  requiring  much  for  the  outfit  of  mission- 
aries, and  for  sustaining  them  in  that  field  ;  but  sacrifices  of 
2l  pecuniary  character  were  not  the  only  or  the  greatest  ones 
to  be  encountered.  There  was  the  sacrifice  of  domestic  and 
social  comforts  here  enjoyed,  and  the  sacrifice  of  life.  He 
remarked  that  the  average  life  of  American  missionaries  to 
the  East  was  only  about  five  years.  But  we  must  have  men 
and  money  for  this  work  ;  and  we  must  all  co-operate  and 
make  sacrifices  together.  If  men  were  found  willing  to  go, 
the  Church  at  home  should  feel  willing  to  send  them  out, 
and  support  them,  that  they  might  give  themselves  wholly 
to  their  work.  Dr.  Judson  said  that  his  heart  was  full,  and 
it  was  a  great  privation  to  him  that  he  was  not  able  to  speak 
out,  and  unburden  himself,  to  the  satisfaction  of  himself  and 
of  the  audience  ;  but  this  the  providence  of  God  prev'ented 
him  from  doing,  and  he  must  submit." 

And  at  a  meeting  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  : 

"When  mingling  in  scenes  like  the  present,  and  like  that 
in  which  he  participated  on  the  preceding  evening,  at  which 
he  believed  some  then  listening  to  him  were  present,  he  was 
led  into  trains  of  meditation  which  excited  the  most  deep 
and  subduing  emotions.  At  such  times  he  involuntarily  re- 
called many  spots  memorable  in  his  history.  One  of  these 
was  the  prison  at  Ava,  to  which  allusion  had  already  been 
made.  In  that  gloomy  place,  on  one  night  when  he  was 
more  heavily  fettered  and  was  enduring  more  suffering  than 
usual,  he  rose  from  the  painful  posture  in  which  he  reclined 
to  lean,  for  an  interval,  against  the  wall.  As  he  cast  his  eyes 
around  upon  the  mass  of  wretchedness  before  him,  he  was 
able,  by  the  dim  light  which  was  always  kept  burning  in  the 
prison,  to  observe  the  condition  of  the  miserable  beings 
among  whom  he  was  confined.     It  was  an  appalling  sight. 


472  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

About  a  hundred  condemned  felons  were  before  him,  some 
sentenced  for  murder,  all  for  atrocious  crimes.  While  look- 
ing on  that  spectacle,  he  felt  that  if  ever,  by  God's  mercy,  he 
should  obtain  his  freedom,  he  would  endeavor  to  bear  with- 
out repining  the  ills  he  might  be  called  to  endure.  Another 
;pot  brought  to  his  recollection  was  that  where  he  stood  to 
.vitness  the  worship  of  the  Bengalee  Juggernaut — not  the 
great  Juggernaut  of  Orissa — for  there  are  several  in  India — 
but  one  in  the  province  of  Bengal.  The  idol  car  moved  on- 
A'ard.  Before  him,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
Aras  a  vast  expanse,  a  sea  of  human  heads.  The  whole  con- 
:ourse  of  deluded  worshippers  were  shouting  as  with  one 
/oice.  Again  his  mind  reverted  to  a  scene  that  fell  under 
lis  observation,  not  many  years  since,  in  the  Karen  jungles. 
It  was  one  of  the  festivals  of  the  Karens.  He  saw  three 
lundred  persons,  prostrate  upon  the  earth,  men,  wom^en,  and 
children,  promiscuously  mingled,  covered  with  filth,  in  a 
state  of  brutal  intoxication — a  spectacle  not  to  be  described 
to  a  Christian  audience.  Scenes  like  these  forced  them- 
selves upon  his  recollection,  in  view  of  our  places  of  worship 
and  happy  homes.  When  coming  among  us,  and  seeing  the 
contrasted  comfort,  elegance,  and  refinement,  that  make  our 
dwellings  so  inviting  and  their  inmates  so  happ}^,  the  ques- 
tion spontaneously  arose,  What  is  the  cause  of  all  this  differ- 
ence ?  O,  it  is  the  Gospel — the  Gospel !  While  surrounded 
with  these  manifold  blessings,  we  could  but  very  imperfectly 
appreciate  the  sole  cause  of  them  all. 

"  It  was  to  a  world  suffering  under  such  wretchedness  as 
had  been  spoken  of,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  compas- 
sion for  mankind,  descended  in  the  reign  of  the  despotic  and 
abandoned  Herod.  Amid  such  scenes  He  mingled,  till  He 
expired  on  the  cross.  If  His  Gospel  is  able  to  effect  all  that 
we  have  seen,  to  transform  the  ignorant,  sensual,  and  de- 
graded heathen,  and  to  elevate  a  nation  to  such  a  height  of 
dignity  and  enjoyment,  and  all  this  in  a  world  still  so  full  o 
sin,  how  will  its  power  appear  in  the  world  to  which  we  ar^ 
advancing?  If  here,  where  sin  yet  reigns,  so  great  a  con- 
trast can  be  wrought,  how  much  greater  the  contrast  be- 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


473 


tvveen  this  imperfect  state  and  heaven,  free  from  every  defile- 
ment ! 

"  In  Burmah,  after  all  that  has  been  done,  there  is  still  the 
same  prison  at  Ava,  with  its  manacled  convicts.  The  same 
Bengalee  Juggernaut  is  still  surrounded  by  its  countless 
worshippers.  The  same  orgies  are  still  celebrated  in  the 
Karen  jungles  ;  and  scenes  innumerable,  as  revolting  as  these, 
are  witnessed  in  all  heathen  lands.  O,  let  us  pray  for  the 
millions  who  know  nothing  of  a  God  or.a  Saviour,  a  heaven 
or  a  hell." 

Before  the  Boardman  Missionary  Society  at  Waterville 
College  he  spoke  as  follows  : 

"  Upon  an  occasion  like  this,  dear  brethren,  a  multitude  of 
thoughts  crowd  upon  me,  so  that  I  know  not  where  to  begin 
or  what  to  select.  Probably  many  of  you  have  the  ministry 
in  view,  and  some  perhaps  look  forward  to  a  missionary  life. 
You  will  expect  me  to  speak  of  missions  and  missionary  life. 
I  have  seen  so  much  of  the  trials  and  responsibility  of  mis- 
sionary labors  that  I  am  unwilling  to  urge  any  one  to  assume 
them.  The  urging  nmst  come  from  a  higher  source.  One  im- 
portant thought  just  occurs  to  me.  You  have  but  07ie  life  to 
live  in  which  to  prepare  for  eternity.  If  you  had  four  or  five 
lives,  two  or  three  of  them  might  be  spent  in  carelessness. 
But  you  have  one  only.  Every  action  of  that  one  life  gives 
coloring  to  your  eternity.  How  important,  then,  that  you 
spend  that  life  so  as  to  please  the  Saviour,  the  blessed  Sav- 
iour, who  has  done  everything  for  you  ! 

"  If  any  of  you  enter  the  Gospel  ministry  in  this  or  other 
lands,  let  not  your  object  be  so  much  to  '  do  your  duty,'  or 
even  to  *  save  souls,'  though  these  should  have  a  place  in 
your  motives,  as  to  please  the  Lord  Jesus.  Let  this  be  your 
ruling  motive  in  all  that  you  do.  Now,  do  you  ask,  how  you 
shall  please  Him  ?  How,  indeed,  shall  we  know  what  will 
please  Him  but  hy  His  commands?  Obey  these  commands 
and  you  will  not  fail  to  please  Him.  And  there  is  that  '  last 
command,'  given  just  before  He  ascended  to  the  Father,  '  Go 
ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creat- 


474  "^^^  ^^P^  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

ure.'  It  is  not  yet  obeyed  as  it  should  be.  Fulfil  that,  and 
you  will  please  the  Saviour. 

"  Some  one  asked  me,  not  long  ago,  whether /^/M  or  love 
influenced  me  most  in  going  to  the  heathen.  I  thought  of 
it  a  while,  and  at  length  concluded  that  there  was  in  me  but 
little  of  either.  But  in  thinking  of  what  did  influence  me,  I 
remembered  a  time,  out  in  the  woods  back  of  Andover  Semi- 
nary, when  I  was  almost  disheartened.  Everything  looked 
dark.  No  one  had  gone  out  from  this  country.  The  way 
was  not  open.  The  field  was  far  distant,  and  in  an  unhealthy 
climate.  I  knew  not  what  to  do.  All  at  once  that  '  last 
command'  seemed  to  come  to  my  heart  directly  from  heaven. 
I  could  doubt  no  longer,  but  determined  on  the  spot  to  obey 
it  at  all  hazards,  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

"  Now,  my  dear  brethren,  if  the  Lord  wants  you  for  mis- 
sionaries. He  will  set  that  command  home  to  your  hearts. 
If  He  does  so,  ^^^  neglect  it  at  your  pei-il." 

And  thus  to  the  students  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. : 

"  Brethren,  look  to  Jesus.  This  sight  will  fill  you  with  the 
greatest  consolation  and  delight.  Look  to  Him  on  the  cross  ; 
so  great  is  His  love  that,  if  He  had  a  thousand  lives,  He 
would  lay  them  all  down  for  your  redem'ption.  Look  to  Him 
on  the  throne  ;  His  blessed  countenance  fills  all  heaven  with 
delight  and  felicity.  Look  to  Him  in  affliction  ;  He  will 
strengthen  you.  Look  to  Him  in  temptation  ;  He  will  suc- 
cor you.  Look  to  Him  in  death  ;  He  will  sustain  you.  Look 
to  Him  in  the  judgment ;  He  will  save  you." 

But  Mr.  Judson  did  not  belong  exclusively  to  any  one 
city  or  section  of  the  country.  Not  only  in  New  England 
and  in  the  Northern  States  was  his  name  revered.  His 
memory  was  most  warmly  cherished  by  Southern  hearts. 
The  eminent  Dr.  Jeter,  in  a  meeting  held  at  Richmond, 
Va.,  on  the  8th  of  February,  1846,  welcomed  Mr.  Judson  in 
an  eloquent  and  affectionate  address,  the  closing  words  of 
which  are  appended  : 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  475 

"But  I  must  close  my  remarks.  Brother  Judson,  we  are  acquainted 
with  your  history.  We  have  marked  your  labors,  have  sympathized  in 
your  various  sufferings,  have  shed  many  a  tear  at  the  foot  of  the  '  hopia- 
tree ';  have  gone,  in  fancy,  on  mournful  pilgrimage  to  the  rocky  Island 
of  St.  Helena;  have  rejoiced  in  your  successes  and  the  successes  of  your 
devoted  associates,  and  have  long  and  fervently  wished  10  see  your  face 
in  the  flesh.  This  privilege  we  now  enjoy.  Welcome,  thrice  welcome 
are  you,  my  brother,  to  our  city,  our  churches,  our  bosoms.  I  speak  as 
the  representative  of  Southern  Baptists.  We  love  you  for  the  truth's 
sake,  and  for  your  labors  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  We  honor  you  as  the 
father  of  American  missions. 

"  One  thought  pains  us.  Tq-morrow  morning  you  will  leave  us.  We 
shall  see  your  face  no  more.  You  will  soon  return  to  Burmah,  the  land 
of  your  adoption.  There  you  will  continue  your  toils,  and  there,  proba- 
bly, be  buried.  But  this  separation  is  not  without  its  solace.  Thank 
God,  it  is  as  near  from  Burmah  to  heaven  as  from  Richmond,  or  any 
other  point  on  the  globe.  Angels,  oft  commissioned  to  convey  to 
heaven  the  departing  spirits  of  pious  Burmans  and  Karens,  have  learned 
the  way  to  that  dark  land.  When  dismissed  from  your  toils  and  suffer- 
ings, they  will  be  in  readiness  to  perform  the  same  service  for  you.  God 
grant  that  we  may  all  meet  in  that  bright  world.  There  sin  shall  no 
more  annoy  us,  separations  no  more  pain  us,  and  every  power  will  find 
full  and  sweet  employ  in  the  service  of  Christ. 

"  And  now,  my  brother,  I  give  my  hand  in  token  of  our  affection  to 
you,  and  of  your  cordial  reception  among  us." 

Mr.  Judson's  reply  attested  his  capacity  for  taking  a 
broad  and  catholic  view  of  the  religious  situation  at  a  time 
when  the  country  was  agitated  by  disturbing  sectional 
jealousies  : 

"  I  congratulate  the  Southern  and  Southwestern  churches," 
he  said,  "  on  the  formation  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Conven- 
tion for  Foreign  Missions.  I  congratulate  the  citizens  of 
Richmond  that  the  Board  of  that  Convention  is  located  here. 
Such  an  organization  should  have  been  formed  several  years 
ago.  Besides  other  circumstances,  the  extent  of  the  country 
called  for  a  separate  organization.  I  have  read  with  much 
pleasure  the  proceedings  of  the  Convention  at  Augusta,  Ga., 
and  commend  the  dignified  and  courteous  tone  of  the  ad- 
dress sent  forth  by  that  body.     I  am  only  an  humble  mis- 


476  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

sionary  of  the  heathen,  and  do  not  aspire  to  be  a  teacher  of 
Christians  in  this  enlightened  country  ;  but  if  I  may  be  in- 
dulged a  remark,  I  would  say,  that  if  hereafter  the  more  vio- 
lent spirits  of  the  North  should  persist  in  the  use  of  irritating 
language,  I  hope  they  will  be  met,  on  the  part  of  the  South, 
with  dignified  silence." 

It  was  his  desire  to  go  further  South,  but  his  frail  health 
imperatively  forbade  him,  and  so  after  visiting  Baltimore, 
where  he  was  welcomed  at  a  most  enthusiastic  missionary 
meeting,  he  turned  northward  again. 

While  on  this  tour  through  the  country,  everywhere  kin- 
dling missionary  enthusiasm,  he  met,  during  a  visit  in  Phil- 
adelphia, a  young  lady.  Miss  Emily  Chubbuck,  who,  under 
the  nom  de  plume  of  Fanny  Forester,  had  achieved  a  wide 
literary  reputation.  The  acquaintance  culminated  in  mar- 
riage. This  lady,  who  was  to  take  the  place  at  his  side  left 
successively  vacant  by  Ann  Hasseltine  and  Sarah  Board- 
man,  had  been  disciplined  in  the  hard  school  of  poverty. 
She  was  born  August  22,  1817,  at  Eaton,  a  little  town  in 
Central  New  York,  and  near  a  stream  which,  with  its  fringe 
of  alders,  murmurs  here  and  there  in  her  prose  and  poetry 
under  the  name  of  Alderbrook.  Her  parents,  Charles  Chub- 
buck  and  Lavinia  Richards,  had  moved  to  Eaton  from  New 
Hampshire.  Her  childhood  days  were  spent  in  a  little 
house  which  can  still  be  seen  on  the  road  from  Eaton  to 
West  Eaton,  perched  against  a  hill  so  close  beneath  the 
road  that,  as  she  says,  one  would  feel  half  disposed  "  to 
step  from  the  road  where  you  stood  to  the  tip  of  the  chim- 
ney."* Her  parents  were  very  poor,  and  she  thus  describes 
a  winter  she  passed  when  she  was  about  thirteen  years  old  : 

"  We  suffered  a  great  deal  from  cold  this  winter,  though  we  had  plenty 
of  plain  food.  Indeed,  we  never  were  reduced  to  hunger.  But  the  house 
was  large  and  unfinished,  and  the  snow  sometimes  drifted  into  it  in 
heaps.     We  were  unable  to  repair  it,  and  the  owner  was  unwilling. 


*  The  road  has  since  been  changed  and  now  passes  below  the  house. 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  477 

Father  was  absent  nearly  all  the  time,  distributing  newspapers  ;  and  the 
severity  of  the  winter  so  affected  his  health  that  he  could  do  but  little 
when  he  was  at  home.  Mother,  Harriet,  and  I  were  frequently  com- 
pelled to  go  out  into  the  fields,  and  dig  broken  wood  out  of  the  snow,  to 
keep  ourselves  from  freezing,  Catherine  and  I  went  to  the  district 
school  as  much  as  we  could." 

Again  she  wrote  : 

"  Novetnber,  1830.  Father's  attempt  at  farming  proved,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  an  entire  failure,  and  for  want  of  a  better  place  he 
determined  to  remove  to  the  village.  He  took  a  little  old  house  on  the 
outskirts,  the  poorest  shelter  we  ever  had,  with  only  two  rooms  on  the 
floor,  and  a  loft,  to  which  we  ascended  by  means  of  a  ladder  We  were 
not  discouraged,  however,  but  managed  to  make  the  house  a  little  gen- 
teel as  well  as  tidy.  Harriet  and  I  used  a  turn-up  bedstead,  sur- 
rounded by  pretty  chintz  curtains,  and  we  made  a  parlor  and  dining- 
room  of  the  room  by  day.  Harriet  had  a  knack  at  twisting  ribbons  and 
fitting  dresses,  and  she  took  in  sewing ;  Catherine  and  Wallace  went  to 
school ;  and  I  got  constant  employment  of  a  little  Scotch  weaver  and 
thread-maker  at  twisting  thread.  Benjamin  returned  to  his  old  place, 
and  Walker  was  still  in  the  printing-office." 

Her  little  hands  very  early  learned  to  contribute  to  the 
support  of  the  family.  When  eleven  years  old  she  earned 
a  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  a  week  splicing  rolls  in  a 
woolen  factory.  She  says  of  this  period  :  "  My  principal 
recollections  are  of  noise  and  filth,  bleeding  hands  and 
aching  feet,  and  a  very  sad  heart."  Little  did  the  residents 
of  Eaton  then  dream  that  this  little  factory-girl  was  after- 
ward to  become  such  an  honor  to  their  humble  village. 
Subsequently,  when  she  first  applied  for  the  position  of 
teacher  in  the  district  school,  a  young  farmer  who  was  act- 
ing trustee  replied,  "  Why,  the  scholars  will  be  bigger  than 
their  teacher."  But  the  little  schoolmistress  made  her 
teaching  a  success,  and  before  she  was  twenty  years  of  age 
had  contributed  to  the  village  newspaper  poems  of  great 
literary  merit.  About  this  time  she  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  Misses  Sheldon,  who  were  conducting  a  well-known 
ladies'  school   at   Utica.     They  offered  her  gratuitous  in- 


478  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

struction  for  a  single  term,  and  subsequently  proposed  to 
complete  her  education  without  present  charge.  This  af- 
forded her  an  excellent  opportunity  for  self-improvement. 
Her  health,  however,  had  been  shattered  by  the  hardship 
and  labors  of  her  earlier  years,  and  it  was  through  great 
weakness  and  suffering  that  she  pressed  toward  higher 
literar>-  excellence.  She  was  continually  spurred  on  by  her 
desire  to  secure  a  home  for  her  aged  parents.  It  was  for 
this  purpose  that  she  wrote  those  charming  stories  in  which 
grace  and  strength  of  style  are  combined  with  the  purest 
moral  tone.  It  was  under  such  circumstances  as  these  that 
she  sent  to  the  press  the  stories  for  children,  entitled  "  The 
Great  Secret,"  "  Effie  Maurice,"  "Charles  Linn,"  "Allen 
Lucas,"  "  John  Frink,"  and  also  the  fascinating  tales  for 
older  readers,  which  were  afterward  gathered  together, 
under  the  name  of  " Alderbrook."  Her  biographer-  re- 
lates the   following   incident  : 

"As  I\Iiss  Sheldon  was  at  one  time  passing  near  midnight  through 
the  halls,  a  light  streaming  from  Emily's  apartment  attracted  her  atten- 
tion, and,  softly  opening  the  door,  she  stole  in  upon  her  vigils.  Emily 
sat  in  her  night-dress,  her  papers  lying  outspread  before  her,  grasping 
with  both  hands  her  throbbing  temples,  and  pale  as  a  marble  statue. 
Miss  S.  went  to  her,  whispered  words  of  sympathy,  and  gently  chided 
her  for  robbing  her  system  of  its  needed  repose.  Emily's  heart  was 
already  full,  and  now  the  fountain  of  feehng  overflowed  in  uncontrollable 
weeping.  '  Oh,  Miss  Sheldon,'  she  exclaimed,  '  I  must  write,  I  juust 
write  ;  I  must  do  what  I  can  to  aid  my  poor  parents.'  " 

While  making  a  visit  in  New  York  during  the  month  of 
June,  1844,  Miss  Chubbuck  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Evening 
Mirror,  which  at  that  time  was  an  exceedingly  popular 
magazine,  edited  by  George  P.  Morris  and  N.  P.  Willis.  In 
a  graceful  and  sportive  vein  she  offered  her  literary  services 
to  this  periodical  : 

"  You  know  the  shops  in  Broadway  are  ver>'  tempting  this  spring. 
Such  beautiful  things  !     Well,  you  know  (no,  you  don't  know  that,  but 

*  The  reader  is  referred  to  Dr.  Kendrick's  Memoir  of  Mrs.  E.  C.  Judson. 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


479 


you  can  g-uess)  what  a  delightful  thing  it  would  be  to  appear  in  one  of 
those  charming,  head-adorning,  complexion-softening,  hard-feature-sub- 
duing neapolitans  ;  with  a  little  gossamer  veil  dropping  daintily  on  the 
shoulder  of  one  of  those  exquisite  balzarines,  to  be  seen  any  day  at 
Stewart's  and  elsewhere.  Well,  you  know  (this  you  must  know)  that 
shop-keepers  have  the  impertinence  to  demand  a  trifling  exchange  for 
these  things  even  of  a  lady;  and  also  that  some  people  have  a  remark- 
ably small  purse,  and  a  remarkably  small  portion  of  the  yellow  '  root '  in 
that.  And  now,  to  bring  the  matter  home,  /  am  one  of  that  class.  I 
have  the  most  beautiful  little  purse  in  the  world,  but  it  is  only  kept  for 
show;  I  even  find  myself  under  the  necessity  of  counterfeiting — that  is, 
filling  the  void  with  tissue  paper  in  lieu  of  bank-notes,  preparatory  to  a 
shopping  expedition. 

"Well,  now  to  the  point.  As  Bel  and  I  snuggled  down  on  the  sofa 
this  morning  to  read  the  New  Mirror  (by  the  way.  Cousin  Bel  is  never 
obliged  to  put  tissue  paper  in  her  purse),  it  struck  us  that  you  would  be 
a  friend  in  need,  and  give  good  counsel  in  this  emergency.  Bel,  how- 
ever, insisted  on  my  not  telling  what  I  wanted  the  money  for.  She  even 
thought  that  I  had  better  intimate  orphanage,  extreme  suffering  frohi 
the  bursting  of  some  speculative  bubble,  illness,  etc.,  etc. ;  but  did  not  I 
know  you  better?  Have  I  read  the  Nezv  Mirror  so  much  (to  ^ay  noth- 
ing of  the  graceful  things  coined  'under  a  bridge,'  and  a  thousand  other 
pages  flung  from  the  inner  heart),  and  not  learned  who  has  an  eye  for 
everything  pretty  ?     Not  so  stupid.  Cousin  Bel ;  no,  no  ! 

"  However,  this  is  not  quite  the  point,  after  all  ;  but  here  it  is.  I  have 
a  pen — not  a  gold  one,  I  don't  think  I  could  write  with  one,  but  a  nice, 
little,  feather-tipped  pen,  that  rests  in  the  curve  of  my  finger  as  content- 
edly as  in  its  former  pillow  of  down.  (Shocking !  how  that  line  did  run 
down  hill !  and  this  almost  as  crooked  !  dear  me  !)  Then  I  have  little 
messengers  racing  '  like  mad  '  through  the  galleries  of  my  head  ;  spinning 
long  yarns,  and  weaving  fabrics  rich  and  soft  as  the  balzarine  which  I  so 
much  covet,  until  I  shut  my  eyes  and  stop  my  ears  and  whisk  away,  with 
the  'wonderful  lamp  '  safely  hidden  in  my  own  brown  braids.  Then  I 
have  Dr.  Johnson's  dictionary — capital  London  edition,  etc.,  etc. ;  and 
after  1  use  up  all  the  words  in  that,  I  will  supply  myself  with  Webster's 
wondrous  quarto,  appendix  and  all.  Thus  prepared,  think  you  not  I 
should  be  able  to  put  something  in  the  shops  of  the  literary  caterers  } 
something  that,  for  once  in  my  life,  would  give  me  a  real  errand  into 
Broadway  ?  May  be  you  of  the  New  Mirror  pay  for  acceptable  articles 
— may  be  not.     Comprenez-vous  ? 

"  O,  I  do  hope  that  beautiful  balzarine  like  Bel's  will  not  be  gone  be- 
fore another  Saturday !     You  will  not  forget  to  answer  me  in  the  next 


48o  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  yUDSO.Y. 

Mirtor  ;  but  pray,  my  dear  Editor,  let  it  be  done  ver)'  cautiously,  for 
Bel  would  pout  all  day  if  she  should  know  what  I  had  written.  Till  Sat- 
urday, 

"  Your  anxiously-waiting  friend, 

"  Fanny  Forester." 

This  letter  attracted  the  attention  of  Mr.  Willis,  and  drew 
from  him  a  characteristic  reply  : 

"  Well,  we  give  in  !  On  coJidition  that  you  are  under  twenty-five,  and 
that  you  will  wear  a  rose  (recognizably)  in  your  bodice  the  first  time  you 
appear  in  Broadway  with  the  hat  and  balzarine,  we  will  pay  the  bills. 
Write  us  thereafter  a  sketch  of  Bel  and  yourself,  as  cleverly  done  as  this 
letter,  and  you  may  '  snuggle  down  '  on  the  sofa,  and  consider  us  paid, 
and  the  public  charmed  with  you." 

Mr.  Willis  at  once  introduced  her  through  his  columns  to 
the  American  public,  and,  though  they  never  saw  each  other 
but  once,  he  became  from  this  time  on  her  life-long  literary 
adviser  and  friend.  And  so,  after  the  long  struggle  with 
povert}^  and  ill-health,  this  woman,  by  dint  of  an  imperious 
will  and  an  unmistakable  genius,  began  to  take  her  place 
among  the  foremost  literary  characters  of  America.  We 
quote  from  her  biographer.  Dr.  Kendrick,  who  is  well 
qualified  by  his  intellectual  acumen  and  fine  poetic  nature 
to  judge  of  the  quality  of  her  mind  : 

"  Those  who  now  turn  over  the  stories  of  Alderbrook  will,  I  think,  be 
at  no  loss  to  explain  the  popularity  which  they  attained.  They  will  find 
in  them  a  truth  to  nature — a  freshness  and  raciness  of  thought  and  dic- 
tion— a  freedom  from  the  hackneyed  conventionalisms  of  ordinary  story- 
teUing,  a  descriptive  and  dramatic  power,  which  lend  to  them  an  unfail- 
ing charm.  The  language  is  ever  plain  and  simple.  They  never  affect 
'  big  '  words,  nor  deck  themselves  out  in  fripperies  of  expression.  If 
there  are  occasional  conceits  of  thought — and  such  are  almost  inevitable 
in  a  young  woman's  first  converse  with  the  public — the  style  is  almost 
wholly  free  from  them.  It  delights  in  that  plain  Anglo-Saxon  that 
comes  freighted  with  home  associations  to  every  heart ;  and  yet  this 
simple  style,  under  her  delicate  handUng,  has  all  the  grace  of  ornament. 

"  Another  source  of  the  popularity  of  her  sketches  is  found  in  the  spirit 
and  vivacity  of  her  descriptions — showing  a  clear  and  close  eye  for  the 
observation  of  nature — and  in  the  lifelike  truthfulness  of  her  character- 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  481 

drawing.  Her  personages  are  not  mere  pegs  on  which  to  hang  a  story 
— a  train  of  external  incidents :  they  are  themselves  the  story.  They 
are  not  mere  labelled  embodiments  of  the  virtues  and  vices  of  the  Deca- 
logue, but  actual  men  and  women,  brought  by  a  few  simple  but  effective 
touches  livingly  before  the  eye,  and,  even  in  her  lightest  sketches,  sharply 
individualized.  Thus  the  interest  of  her  stories  is  emphatically  a  human 
interest.  It  is  not  what  the  actors  do,  but  what  they  are,  that  rivets  our 
attention,  and  chains  us  to  her  fascinating  pages.  As  might  be  inferred 
from  this,  she  possesses  extraordinary  dramatic  power.  The  dramatis 
personcB  live  and  breathe  and  move  through  the  story.  The  author 
transports  herself  into  the  scene  ;  identifies  herself  with  her  characters ; 
and  instead  of  conducting  her  narration  by  cold,  second-hand  details, 
makes  it  gush  warmly  and  livingly  from  the  lips  of  the  speakers.  Not 
unfrequently  nearly  the  whole  story  is  unfolded  by  dialogue,  natural, 
racy,  and  spirited,  and  that  which  in  its  mere  outward  details  would  be 
but  a  trivial  incident,  under  this  warm,  dramatic  handling,  and  imbedded 
in  human  passion,  is  impregnated  with  life  and  interest.  Equally  happy^ 
too,  is  Emily  in  the  conduct  of  her  narrative— in  the  management  of  the 
plot — in  so  seizing  upon  the  hinging-points,  the  node^  and  crises  of  the 
story,  and  so  coloring,  and  grouping,  and  contrasting  them,  as  to  give 
them  their  utmost  effect.  With  the  instinctive  eye  of  genius,  she  sepa- 
rates the  incidental  from  the  essential,  and  strikes  to  the  inmost  core  ot 
her  subject. 

"  And  finally — and  here  perhaps  was  pre-eminently  the  secret  ot 
Emily's  power — she  was  drawing  from  her  own  life,  '  coloring  from  her 
own  heart.'  With  every  stroke  of  her  pen  she  daguerreotyped  herselt 
upon  the  page  before  her.  The  trials  of  her  youth— her  own  harsh  ex- 
periences— quivered  through  her  bright  and  glittering  fancies,  and  com- 
pelled many  a  tear  from  hearts  unknowing  of  the  cause.  She  was  un- 
consciously obeying  the  dictum  of  the  great  Master ;  she  moved  others 
because  she  had  first  been  moved  herself.  The  tear  that  trembled  in 
their  eye  answered  to  that  which  had  first  glistened  in  her  own.  The 
emotion  that  swelled  their  bosoms  was  responsive  to  that  which  had 
throbbed  in  her  own  breast.  True  to  herself,  she  was  true  to  the  uni- 
versal elements  of  humanity. 

"  And  yet  she  was  far  from  being  the  mere  recorder;  she  dealt  not  in 
the  mere  statistics  of  experience.  Her  power  of  fancy  was  equal  to  her 
power  of  feeling.  The  germ  of  her  conception  sprung  from  the  actual, 
but  it  developed  itself  in  the  realm  of  the  ideal.  When  fancy  supplied 
the  groundwork,  her  feelings  insensibly  blended  themselves  with  it, 
giving  it  genuineness  and  vitality.  When  she  started  from  experience, 
fancy  instantly  stood  as  its  servitor,  ready  to  invest  the  creation  with  hei 
31 


482  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

bright  and  glittering-  hues.  Thus  her  heart  and  life-experiences  were  sc 
transfigured  and  idealized  that  she  did  not  obtrude  herself  indelicately  or 
painfully  before  the  public.  '  Grace  Linden,'  '  Lilias  Fane,'  '  Dora,' 
'  Nora  Maylife,'  '  Ida  Ravelin,'  even,  were  all  born  in  he  depths  of  her 
own  nature,  all  embodied  a  certain  portion  of  her  spiritual  essence  ;  yet 
all  were  so  wrought  and  moulded,  so  blended  with  imaginative  elements, 
that  she  for  whom  they  really  stood  '  passed  in  music  out  of  sight.'  So 
amidst  the  deeper  emotions  of  later  life  her  power  of  imagination  kept 
pace  with  her  power  of  passionate  emotion.  '  My  Bird,'  '  Watching,' 
'  My  Angel  Guide,'  are  beautifully  idealized,  and  it  is  only  perhaps  in 
'Sweet  Mother'  that  the  bleeding,  agonizing  heart  of  the  stricken  wife 
and  daughter  comes  nakedly  before  the  public.  And  with  all  this,  there 
breathes  through  all  her  pages  a  tenderness  and  dehcacy  of  sentiment 
which  impart  to  them  a  nameless  charm. 

"  In  this  slight  analysis  I  am  not  claiming  for  '  Fanny  Forester's  ' 
sketches  the  highest  order  of  genius.  They  are  a  woman's  production, 
and  are  thoroughly  womanly.  They  aspire  to  no  heights  of  masculine 
eloquence,  no  depths  of  philosophical  teaching.  They  deal  with  the 
heart,  the  fancy.  a*nd  the  imagination.  Norjn  mere  vigor  and  grasp  of 
intellect  is  she,  perhaps,  to  be  classed  with  Joanna  Bailie,  Mrs.  Browning, 
and  Miss  Bronte  ;  although  looking  at  all  which  she  did,  I  am  satisfied 
that  she  approaches  much  nearer  to  them  in  intellectual  vigor  than  they 
do  to  her  in  womanly  delicacy  and  softness.  It  is  one  of  her  high  ex- 
cellences that  she  never  compromises  her  womanhood  ;  and  yet  to  her 
who  could  write  the  '  Madness  of  the  Missionary  Enterprise,'  and  render 
such  contributions  as  she  did  to  the  memoir  of  her  husband,  is  to  be  as- 
signed no  mean  rank  among  the  intellects  of  the  world.  Mr.  Willis,  Dr. 
Griswold,  and  Mr.  H.  B.  Wallace,  than  whom  our  country  has  produced 
no  more  competent  literary'  critics,  estimated  her  genius  as  of  a  very 
high  order,  and  regarded  her  true  sphere  as  that  not  of  popularity,  but 
of  fame." 

But,  besides  her  intellectual  gifts,  Miss  Chubbuck  had  an 
intensely  religious  nature.  She  was  the  child  of  pious 
parents,  and  was  subject  to  very  early  religious  impressions. 
She  writes : 

"  The  first  event  of  any  importance  which  I  remember  is  the  conver- 
sion of  my  sister  Lavinia,  when  I  was  about  seven  years  of  age.  My 
little  cot  was  in  her  room  ;  and  as  she  grew  worse  after  her  baptisin,  the 
young  members  of  the  church  were  in  the  habit  of  spending  the  night 
with  her,  partly  in  the  character  of  watchers,  partly  because  of  a  unity  of 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  483 

interest  and  feeling.  She  and  her  visitors  spent  the  greater  part  of  the 
night  in  conversation  and  prayer,  without  any  thought  of  disturbing  so 
sound  a  sleeper  as  I  seemed  to  be.  I  was  a  silent,  sometimes  tearful 
listener  when  they  talked  ;  and  when  they  prayed  I  used  to  kneel  down 
in  my  bed,  and  with  hands  clasped  and  heart  uplifted,  follow  them 
through  to  the  end.  I  can  not  recall  my  exercises  with  any  degree  ot 
distinctness ;  but  I  remember  longing  to  go  to  heaven,  and  be  with 
Christ ;  some  moments  of  ecstasy,  and  some  of  deep  depression  on  ac- 
count of  my  childish  delinquencies.  My  sister  used  often  to  converse 
with  me  on  religious  subjects ;  and  I  remember  on  one  occasion  her 
going  to  the  next  room  and  saying  to  my  mother,  'That  child's  talk  is 
wonderful !  I  believe,  if  there  is  a  Christian  in  the  world,  she  is  one.' 
For  a  moment  I  felt  a  deep  thrill  of  joy,  and  then  I  became  alarmed  lest 
I  should  have  deceived  them.  The  effect  was  to  make  me  reserved  and 
cautious." 

In  subsequent  life  she  dated  her  conversion  as  occurring 
when  she  was  eight  years  old.  She  used  to  attend  all  the 
religious  services  in  the  neighborhood.     She  writes : 

*'  Indeed,  I  believe  my  solemn  little  face  was  almost  ludicrously  familiar 
to  worshippers  of  every  denomination,  for  I  remember  a  Presbyterian  once 
saying  to  me,  as  I  was  leaving  the  chapel,  after  having,  as  usual,  asked 
prayers  :  '  What !  this  little  girl  not  converted  yet !  How  do  you  suppose 
we  can  waste  any  more  time  in  praying  for  you  ? '  " 

Indeed,  she  seems  from  her  earliest  years  to  have  been 
haunted  by  the  conviction  that  she  was,  some  time  or  other, 
%o  be  a  missionary  to  the  heathen  ;  but  she  was  always  striv- 
ing to  rid  herself  of  this  irksome  thought.  She  said  to  a 
friend  : 

"  I  have  felt,  ever  since  1  read  the  memoir  of  Mrs.  Ann  H.  Judson 
when  I  was  a  small  child,  that  I  must  become  a  missionary.  I  fear  it  is 
but  a  childish  fancy,  and  am  making  every  effort  to  banish  it  from  my 
mind  ;  yet  the  more  I  seek  to  divert  my  thoughts  from  it,  the  more  un- 
happy I  am." 

It  was  by  a  strange  coincidence  that  this  gifted  woman,  who 
had  been  from  childhood  so  deeply  impressed  by  the  story 
of  Ann  Hasseltine,  should  meet  Mr.  Judson  in  January, 
1846.     It  was  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Gillette  in  Philadelphia, 


484  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Mr.  Judson  had  been  invited  to  come  from  Boston,  and  Dr. 
Gillette  had  gone  there  to  bring  him  on.  The  journey  was 
long  and  cold,  and  an  accident  caused  a  delay  of  three  or  four 
hours.  Dr.  Gillette  saw  in  the  hands  of  a  friend  a  collec- 
tion of  light  sketches  called  "■  Trippings,"  by  Fanny  For- 
ester. He  borrowed  it,  and  handed  it  to  Mr.  Judson  that  he 
might  read  it,  and  so  while  away  the  tedious  and  uncomfort- 
able hours  of  delay.  Mr.  Judson  read  portions  of  the  book, 
and  recognizing  the  power  with  which  it  was  written,  ex- 
pressed a  regret  that  a  person  of  such  intellectual  gifts 
should  devote  them  to  the  writing  of  light  literature.  "  I 
should  be  glad  to  know  her,"  he  remarked.  "  The  lady  who 
writes  so  well  ought  to  write  better.  It's  a  pity  that  such 
fine  talents  should  be  employed  on  such  subjects." 

Dr.  Gillette  answered  that  he  would  soon  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  meeting  her,  because  she  was  at  that  time  a  guest  in 
his  own  house.  Upon  their  arrival,  Mr.  Judson  was  enter- 
tained at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Robarts,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing called  at  Dr.  Gillette's.  His  first  meeting  with  Miss 
Chubbuck  is  thus  described  by  Dr.  Kendrick  : 

"  Promptly  on  the  next  day  he  came  over  to  Mr.  Gillette's.  Emily  (in 
her  morning-dress)  was  submitting  to  the  not  very  poetical  process  of 
vaccination.  As  soon  as  it  was  over,  Dr.  Judson  conducted  her  to  the 
sofa,  saying  that  he  wished  to  talk  with  her.  She  replied  half  playfully 
that  she  should  be  delighted  and  honored  by  having  him  talk  to  her; 
With  characteristic  impetuosity  he  immediately  inquired  how  she  could 
reconcile  it  with  her  conscience  to  employ  talents  so  noble  in  a  species 
of  writing  so  little  useful  or  spiritual  as  the  sketches  which  he  had  read. 
Emily's  heart  melted;  she  replied  with  seriousness  and  candor,  and  ex- 
plained the  circumstances  which  had  drawn  her  into  this  field  of  author- 
ship. Indigent  parents,  largely  dependent  on  her  efforts — years  of  labo- 
rious teaching — books  published  with  but  little  profit,  had  driven  her  to 
still  new  and  untried  paths,  in  which  at  last  success  unexpectedly  opened 
upon  her.  Making  this  employment  purely  secondar)',  and  carefully 
avoiding  everything  of  doubtful  tendency,  she  could  not  regard  her 
course  as  open  to  serious  strictures.  It  was  now  Dr.  Judson 's  turn  to 
be  softened.  He  admitted  the  force  of  her  reasons,  and  that  even  his 
own  strict  standard  could  not  severely  censure  the  direction  given  to  filial 


w^ 


^J^—z-^ 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA,  485 

love.  He  opened  another  subject.  He  wished  to  secure  a  person  to 
prepare  a  memoir  of  his  recently  deceased  wife,  and  it  was  partly,  in 
fact,  with  this  purpose  that  he  had  sought  Emily's  acquaintance.  She  enter- 
tained the  proposition,  and  the  discussion  of  this  matter  naturally  threw 
them  much  together  during-  the  ensuing  few  days." 

Mr.  Judson  and  Emily  Chubbuck  were  married  in  Hamil- 
ton, N.  Y.,  on  the  2d  of  the  following  June. 

The  marriage  was  pleasing  neither  to  the  literary  nor  to 
the  religious  world.  The  one  thought  that  the  brilliant 
Fanny  Forester  was  throwing  herself  away  in  marrying  "  an 
old  missionary";  the  other  feared  that  the  moral  grandeur 
of  the  missionary  cause  was  compromised  by  an  alliance 
between  its  venerable  founder  and  a  writer  of  fiction. 

These  conflicting  opinions  made,  however,  but  a  slight 
impression  upon  Mr.  Judson's  mind.  He  was  not  depend- 
ent for  his  happiness  and  well-being  upon  the  opinion  of 
others.  He  had  long  before  learned  to  think  and  to  act 
independently,  otherwise  he  would  never  have  become  a  mis- 
sionary, least  of  all  a  Baptist.     He  wrote  to  his  betrothed  : 

"  I  have  been  so  cried  down  at  different  periods  of  my 
life  —  especially  when  I  became  a  Baptist  —  and  lost  all  — 
all  but  Ann — that  I  suppose  I  am  a  little  hardened.  But 
I  feel  for  you,  for  it  is  your  first  field.  Whatever  of  strength 
or  shield  is  mine,  or  I  can  draw  down  from  heaven,  is  yours." 

But  the  missionary's  heart  kept  turning  toward  the  field 
of  his  labors  far  across  the  sea.  If  his  two  Burmese  assist- 
ants had  been  with  him,  he  might  have  contented  himself 
a  little  longer  in  this  country,  for  he  could  then  have 
worked  more  effectively  on  his  dictionary. 

The  following  poem  (by  Mr.  H.  S.  Washburn,  of  Boston) 
seems  to  gather  up  and  express  that  longing  for  his  Bur- 
man  home  which  impelled  him  to  re-embark  even  before 
he  had  been  nine  months  in  the  United  States.  The  author 
of  these  stanzas  read  them  to  Mr.  Judson  while  he  was 
busy  packing  his  boxes  for  the  voyage,  and  found  that  they 
seemed  exactly  to  voice  the  desire  of  hts  heart : 


486  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON 

yudson  Longing  /or  /lis  Burnian  Hoine. 

"  A  stranger  in  my  native  land  ! 
O  home  beyond  the  sea, 
How  yearns  with  all  its  constant  love, 
This  weary  heart  for  thee. 

"  I  left  thee,  when  around  my  hearth 
Was  gathering  thickest  gloom. 
And  gentle  ones  have  since  that  hour 
Descended  to  the  tomb. 

"  A  flower  has  withered  on  thy  breast. 
Thou  wilt  that  treasure  keep ; 
And  sweet  her  rest,  whose  grave  is  made 
Away  upon  the  deep. 

"  I  once  trod  lightly  on  the  turf 
That  I  am  treading  now  ; 
The  flush  of  hope  was  on  my  cheek. 
And  youth  was  on  my  brow — 

"  But  time  hath  wrought  a  wondrous  change 
In  all  I  loved — and  f/ie/ 
I  prize  thee,  native  land — but  more. 
My  home  beyond  the  sea. 

"  O  Burmah  !  shrouded  in  the  pall 
Of  error's  dreadful  night ! 
For  wings — for  wings  once  more  to  bear 
To  thy  dark  shores  the  light : 

"To  rear  upon  thy  templed  hills. 
And  by  thy  sunny  streams, 
The  standard  of  the  Cross,  where  now 
The  proud  Pagoda  gleams. 


'  One  prayer,  my  God  !  Thy  will  be  done- 
One  only  boon  I  crave  : 
To  finish  well  my  work, —  and  rest 
Within  a  Burman  grave  !  " 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  487 

Less  than  six  weeks  intervened  between  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Chubbuck  and  his  embarkation.  Many  tender  farewells 
had  to  be  spoken.  He  well  knew  that  the  dear  ones  from 
whom  he  was  parting  would  probably  never  be  seen  again 
on  earth.  He  thus  wrote  to  his  boys,  Adoniram  and 
Elnathan,  whom  he  left  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Newton  at  Wor- 
cester, and  to  his  daughter  Abby,  whom  he  had  committed 
to  the  care  of  his  only  sister  at  Plymouth  : 

"Boston,  July  10,  1846. 
"  My  dear  Sons  :  Farewell.  We  embark  to-morrow  about 
noon.  Many  a  time  I  shall  look  at  your  likenesses,  and  weep 
over  them,  and  pray  that  you  may  early  become  true  Chris- 
tians. Love  your  brother  George,  and  your  uncle  and  aunt 
Newton.  Pray  every  morning  and  evening.  Your  new 
mamma  sends  you  her  best  love.     Forget  not 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

"A.  JUDSON." 
"  BosTO.v,  July  10,  1846. 

"  My  dear  Daughter:  Farewell.  We  embark  to-morrow 
about  noon.  I  think  the  likenesses  taken  of  your  face  very 
good.  I  shall  take  one  with  me,  and  shall  many  a  time  look 
at  it,  and  weep  over  it,  and  pray  that  you  may  early  become 
a  Christian.  The  other  I  shall  give  to  George,  to  keep  a 
while  at  Worcester,  and  finally  give  to  your  aunt  Judson 
when  he  visits  Plymouth. 

"  Love  your  dear  aunts  and  cousins,  with  whom  you  live  ; 
pray  every  morning  and  evening,  and  may  we  meet  again  on 
earth,  and  if  not,  O,  may  we  meet  in  heaven,  and  be  happy 
together.     Your  new  mamma  sends  her  best  love. 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

"A.  JUDSON. 

"Write  me  once  in  three  months." 

To  his  only  sister,  also,  the  fond  playmate  of  his  childhood, 
the  sole  survivor  of  the  dear  family  group  that  had  clung  to 
him  so  tenderly  when,  many  years  before,  with  the  flush  of 


488  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

youth  on  his  cheek,  he  had  set  his  face  toward  the  rising 

sun,  he  speaks  the  parting  word  : 

"  Boston,  July  lo,  1846. 

"  Dear  Sister  :  Farewell.  We  embark  to-morrow  about 
noon.  I  have  two  likenesses  of  Abby  Ann.  One  I  take  my- 
self. The  other  I  hand  to  George,  that  he  may  take  it  to 
Worcester,  and  keep  it  with  the  boys,  until  he  visits  Plymouth, 
in  about  a  month  or  six  weeks,  when  he  is  to  give  it  to  you. 
I  left  Abby  Ann  at  Bradford  yesterday  forenoon  ;  gave  the 
twenty  dollars,  which  they  will  place  to  your  credit.  Take 
care  of  yourself,  dear  sister,  and  spare  no  expense  that  is 
necessary  for  your  health  and  comfort. 

"  Emily  sends  her  best  love.  Every  blessing  rest  upon  you, 
until  we  meet  in  heaven. 

"  Ever  most  affectionately, 

"A.  JUDSON." 

The  following  is  his  last  public  utterance  in  America : 

"  My  friends  are  aware  that  it  is  quite  impossible  for  me, 
without  serious  injury  to  myself,  to  sustain  my  voice  at  such 
a  height  as  to  reach  this  large  assembly,  except  for  a  few 
sentences.  I  have,  therefore,  taken  the  liberty  of  putting 
some  thoughts  on  paper,  which  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hague  will  do 
me  the  honor  of  reading  to  you. 

"  I  wish,  however,  in  my  own  voice,  to  praise  God  for  the 
deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  missions  manifested  by  the 
friends  of  the  Redeemer  in  this  city  and  the  vicinity,  and  to 
thank  them  for  all  their  expressions  and  acts  of  kindness 
^oward  me  during  my  brief  sojourn  among  them.  I  regret 
that  circumstances  have  prevented  my  spending  more  time 
in  this  city,  and  forming  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  with 
those  whom  a  slight  acquaintance  has  taught  me  so  much  to 
ove. 

"It  is  as  certain  as  any  future  event  can  be,  that  I  shall 
never  again  revisit  the  shores  of  my  native  land  ;  that,  after 
a  few  days,  your  beautiful  city,  this  great  and  glorious  coun- 
try, will  be  forever  shut  from  my  view.  No  more  shall  I 
enter  your  places  of  worship  ;  no  more  shall  I  behold  your 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  489 

faces,  and  exchange  the  affectionate  salutations  of  Christian 
love. 

"  The  greatest  favor  we  can  bestow  on  our  absent  friends 
is  to  bear  them  on  our  hearts  at  the  throne  of  grace.  I  pray 
you,  dear  friends,  remember  me  there,  and  my  missionary 
associates,  and  our  infant  churches,  and  the  poor  heathen, 
among  whom  we  go  to  live.  And  though  we  do  meet  no 
more  on  earth,  I  trust  that  our  next  meeting  will  be  in  that 
blessed  world  where  '  the  loved  and  the  parted  here  below 
meet  ne'er  to  part  again.'  " 


"There  are  periods  in  the  lives  of  men  who  experience 
much  change  of  scene  and  variety  of  adventure,  when  they 
seem  to  themselves  to  be  subject  to  some  supernatural  illusion, 
or  wild,  magical  dream  ;  when  they  are  ready,  amid  the  whirl 
of  conflicting  recollection,  to  doubt  their  own  personal  iden- 
tity, and,  like  steersmen  in  a  storm,  feel  that  they  must  keep 
a  steady  eye  to  the  compass  and  a  strong  arm  at  the  wheel 
The  scene  spread  out  before  me  seems,  on  retrospection,  to 
be  identified  with  the  past,  and  at  the  same  time  to  be  reach- 
ing forward  and  foreshadowing  the  future.  At  one  moment 
the  lapse  of  thirty-four  years  is  annihilated  ;  the  scenes  of 
181 2  are  again  present;  and  this  assembly — how  like  that 
which  commended  me  to  God  on  first  leaving  my  native 
shores  for  the  distant  East !  But,  as  I  look  around,  where 
are  the  well-known  faces  of  Spring,  and  Worcester,  and 
Dwight  ?  Where  are  Lyman,  and  Huntington,  and  Griffin  ? 
And  where  are  those  leaders  of  the  baptized  ranks  who 
stretched  out  their  arms  across  the  water,  and  received  me 
into  their  communion?  Where  are  Baldwin  and  BoUes? 
Where  Holcombe,  and  Rogers,  and  Staughton  ?  I  see  them 
not.  I  have  been  to  their  temples  of  worship,  but  their  voices 
have  passed  away.  And  where  are  my  early  missionary  as- 
sociates, Newell,  and  Hall,  and  Rice,  and  Richards,  and 
Mills  ?  But  why  inquire  for  those  so  ancient  ?  Where  are 
the  succeeding  laborers  in  the  missionary  field  for  many 
years,  and  the    intervening   generation   who    sustained    the 


49©  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

missions  ?  And  where  are  those  who  moved  amid  the  dark 
scenes  of  Rangoon,  and  Ava,  and  Tavoy  ?  Where  those  gen 
tie,  yet  firm  spirits,  which  tenanted  forms — delicate  in  struct 
ure,  but  careless  of  the  storm — now  broken,  and  scattered 
and  strewn,  like  the  leaves  of  autumn,  under  the  shadow  oi 
overhanging  trees,  and  on  remote  islands  of  the  sea  ? 

"No,  these  are  not  the  scenes  of  1812  ;  nor  is  this  the 
assembly  that  convened  in  the  Tabernacle  of  a  neighboring 
city.  Many  years  have  elapsed  ;  many  venerated,  many  be- 
loved ones  have  passed  away  to  be  seen  no  more.  '  They 
rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them.'  And 
with  what  words  shall  I  address  those  who  have  taken  their 
places,  the  successors  of  the  venerated  and  the  beloved,  the 
generation  of  1812  ? 

"  In  that  year  American  Christians  pledged  themselves  to 
the  work  of  evangelizing  the  world.  They  had  but  little  to 
rest  on,  except  the  command  and  promise  of  God.  The 
attempts  then  made  by  British  Christians  had  not  been  at- 
tended with  so  much  success  as  to  establish  the  practicability, 
or  vindicate  the  wisdom  of  the  missionary  enterprise.  For 
many  years  the  work  advanced  but  slowly.  One  denomina- 
tion after  another  embarked  in  the  undertaking  ;  and  now 
American  missionaries  are  seen  in  almost  every  clime.  Many 
languages  have  been  acquired  ;  many  translations  of  the 
Bible  have  been  made  ;  the  Gospel  has  been  extensively 
preached  ;  and  churches  have  been  established  containing 
thousands  of  sincere,  intelligent  converts.  The  obligation, 
therefore,  on  the  present  generation,  to  redeem  the  pledge 
given  by  their  fathers,  is  greatly  enhanced.  And  it  is  an 
animating  consideration,  that,  with  the  enhancement  of  the 
obligation,  the  encouragement  to  persevere  in  the  work,  and 
to  make  still  greater  efforts,  is  increasing  from  year  to  year. 
Judging  from  the  past,  what  may  we  rationally  expect  during 
the  lapse  of  another  thirty  or  forty  years  ?  Look  forward 
with  the  eye  of  faith.  See  the  missionary  spirit  universally 
diffused,  and  in  active  operation  throughout  this  country  ; 
every  church  sustaining,  not  only  its  own  minister,  but, 
through  some  general  organization,  its  own  missionary  in  a 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 


491 


foreign  land.  See  the  Bible  faithfully  translated  into  all 
languages ;  the  rays  of  the  lamp  of  heaven  transmitted 
through  every  medium,  and  illuminating  all  lands.  See  the 
Sabbath  spreading  its  holy  calm  over  the  face  of  the  earth, 
the  churches  of  Zion  assembling,  and  the  praises  of  Jesus 
resounding  from  shore  to  shore  ;  and,  though  the  great  ma- 
jority may  still  remain,  as  now  in  this  Christian  country, 
without  hope  and  without  God  in  the  world,  yet  the  barriers 
in  the  way  of  the  descent  and  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
removed,  so  that  revivals  of  religion  become  more  constant 
and  more  powerful. 

"  The  world  is  yet  in  its  infancy  ;  the  gracious  designs  of 
God  are  yet  hardly  developed.  Glorious  things  are  spoken 
of  Zion,  the  city  of  our  God.  She  is  yet  to  triumph,  and  be- 
come the  joy  and  glory  of  the  whole  earth.  Blessed  be  God 
that  we  live  in  these  latter  times — the  latter  times  of  the 
reign  of  darkness  and  imposture.  Great  is  our  privilege, 
precious  our  opportunity,  to  co-operate  with  the  Saviour  in 
the  blessed  work  of  enlarging  and  establishing  His  kingdom 
throughout  the  world.  Most  precious  the  opportunity  of 
becoming  wise,  in  turning  many  to  righteousness,  and  of 
shining,  at  last,  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as 
the  stars,  forever  and  ever. 

"  Let  us  not,  then,  regret  the  loss  of  those  who  have  gone 
before  us,  and  are  waiting  to  welcome  us  home,  nor  shrink 
from  the  summons  that  must  call  us  thither.  Let  us  only 
resolve  to  follow  them  who,  through  faith  and  patience,  in- 
herit the  promises.  Let  us  so  employ  the  remnant  of  life, 
and  so  pass  away,  that  our  successors  will  say  of  us,  as  we 
of  our  predecessors,  '  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the 
Lord.  They  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do 
follow  them.'  " 

At  Boston,  July  11,  1846,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson,  in  com- 
pany with  the  newly-appointed  missionaries,  MissLillybridge, 
the  Beechers,  and  the  Harrises,  embarked  on  the  Fancuu 
Hall,  Captain  Hallett,  bound  for  Maulmain.  Many  friends 
mingled  in  that  farewell  scene.     He  was  leaving  behind  him 


492  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

JFragrant  memories.  In  many  a  household  his  prayers  are 
cherished  as  a  "  precious  benediction."  He  had  been  enter- 
tained in  the  house  of  his  friend,  Gardner  Colby,  of  Boston, 
and  at  the  family  altar  he  thus  prayed  for  the  family  of  his 
host :  "  May  they,  and  their  children,  and  their  children's 
children,  in  every  generation  to  the  end  of  time,  follow 
each  other  in  uninterrupted  succession  through  the  gates  of 
glory,"  *  a  prayer  that  has  borne  fruitage  from  that  time 
until  now.  The  Colbys  came  to  the  ship  to  bid  him  good- 
bye, and  the  Lincolns,  and  the  Gillettes,  and  Mrs.  Judson's 
bosom  friend,  Miss  Anna  Maria  Anable,  with,  among  others, 
and  dearer  than  all  the  rest,  a  slender  youth  of  eighteen, 
the  child  of  her  who  had  been  laid  at  rest  at  St.  Helena, 
George  Dana  Boardman.  But  how,  even  at  that  hour,  Mrs. 
Judson's  thoughts  must  have  wandered  again  and  again  to 
the  humble  roof  at  Hamilton,  beneath  which  her  aged 
parents  were  commending  their  departing  daughter  to  the 
heavenly  Father's  merciful  care  ! 

To  my  Father. 

"  A  welcome  for  thy  child,  father, 

A  welcome  give  to-day  ; 
Although  she  may  not  come  to  thee 

As  when  she  went  away ; 
Though  never  in  her  olden  nest 

Is  she  to  fold  her  wing, 
And  live  again  the  days  when  first 

She  learned  to  fly  and  smg. 

"  Oh,  happy  were  those  days,  father, 

When  gathering  round  thy  knee. 
Seven  sons  and  daughters  called  thee  sire- 

We  come  again  but  three  ; 
The  grave  has  claimed  thy  loveliest  ones. 

And  sterner  things  than  death 
Have  left  a  shadow  on  thy  brow, 

A  sigh  upon  thy  breath. 


See  tlie  graceful  sketch  of  "  The  Life  and  Character  of  Gardner  Colby,"  by  his 
,  the  Rev.  Henr^'  F.  Colby. 


VISIT  TO  AMERICA.  4^3 

•  And  one — one  of  the  three,  father, 

Now  comes  to  thee  to  claim 
Thy  blessing  on  another  lot, 

Upon  another  name. 
Where  tropic  suns  forever  burn, 

Far  over  land  and  wave. 
The  child,  whom  thou  hast  loved,  would  make 

Her  hearthstone  and  her  grave. 

•Thou'lt  never  wait  again,  father. 

Thy  daughter's  coming  tread; 
She  ne'er  will  see  thy  face  on  earth — 

So  count  her  with  thy  dead  ; 
But  in  the  land  of  life  and  love, 

Not  sorrowing  as  now. 
She'll  come  to  thee,  and  come,  perchance, 

With  jewels  on  her  brow. 

'  Perchance  ; — I  do  not  know,  father, 

If  any  part  be  given 
My  erring  hand,  among  the  guides 

Who  point  the  way  to  heaven ; 
But  it  would  be  a  joy  untold 

Some  erring  foot  to  stay  ; 
Remember  this,  when,  gathering  round. 

Ye  for  the  exile  pray. 

'  Let  nothing  here  be  changed,  father, 

I  would  remember  all. 
Where  every  ray  of  sunshine  rests, 

And  where  the  shadows  fall. 
And  now  I  go  ;  with  faltering  foot 

I  pass  the  threshold  o'er, 
And  gaze,  through  tears,  on  that  dear  roof. 

My  shelter  nevermore." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LAST   YEARS. 

1846-1850. 

More  than  four  months  elapsed  after  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Jud- 
son  parted  from  their  friends  in  Boston  before  they  anived 
at  Maulmain.  The  passage,  though  long,  was  pleasant. 
Under  date  of  November  27,  1846,  Mr.  Judson  writes  to 
his  friend,  Mr.  Gardner  Colby : 

"  One  hundred  and  thirty-nine  days  from  Boston,  and  the 
mountains  of  Burmah  appear  in  the  horizon.  None  ever 
had  a  pleasanter  passage  than  we  have  been  favored  with, 
though  rather  long,  from  the  prevalence  of  head-winds.  The 
Faneiiil  Hall  was  a  good  sailer,  an  excellent  sea-boat,  and 
furnished  with  the  best  accommodations.  The  table  was 
well  supplied,  and  the  captain  endeared  himself  to  us,  not 
only  by  unremitting,  kindness,  but  by  the  interchange  of 
congenial  sentiments  and  feelings  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
Two  services  on  Lord's  days,  the  one  a  Bible-class  in  the 
saloon,  and  the  other,  public  worship  on  deck  with  the  crew, 
together  with  evening  worship  every  day,  have  given  the 
character  of  a  Bethel  to  our  floating  home. 

"  In  regard  to  my  studies,  I  have  not  much  to  boast  of.  Not 
having  my  native  assistants  with  me,  I  have  not  ventured  to 
go  forward  in  the  dictionary,  but  have  employed  myself  in 
revising  and  transcribing  for  the  press  the  first  half  of  the 
English  and  Burmese  part,  that  had  been  previously  sketched 
out.  This  work  I  had  hardly  completed  when  the  cry  ol 
Land,  ho  !  saluted  my  ears." 


LAST  YEARS.  495 

In  passing  the  Island  of  St.  Helena,  his  thoughts  dwelt 
tenderly  upon  her  who,  like  Rachel  of  old,  had  died  "  on 
the  way,  when  it  was  but  a  little  way  to  go  unto  Ephrath." 

"  The  precipitous,  rocky  cliffs,  however,  that  form  the  out- 
line of  that  spot  on  the  ocean,  the  narrow  ravine  winding  be- 
tween them  and  leading  to  the  walled  mansion  of  the  dead, 
the  low,  overshadowing  tree,  and  the  swelling  turf,  marked, 
perhaps,  by  the  white  gravestones,  are  all  distinctly  before 
me.  And,  did  the  misty  mythology  of  antiquity  still  obtain, 
I  could  fancy  the  spirit  of  the  departed  sitting  on  one  of  the 
cloud-wrapped  peaks  that  overhang  her  grave,  and  pensively 
o\i%G.XN\VL^\h^ FafieidlHall on  her  circuitous  route  to  the  south- 
east. 'Why  are  you  wheeling  away  at  such  a  distance  from 
me  and  my  lonely  dwelling  ?  The  dear  little  ones  that  I  left 
in  your  charge,  where  are  they  ?  And  who — what  slender 
form  is  that  I  see  at  your  side,  occupying  the  place  that  once 
was  mine  ? '  But  the  mistiness  and  darkness  of  pagan  myth- 
ology have  been  dispelled  by  beams  of  light  from  those  higher 
heights  where  she  is  really  sitting.  And  thence,  if  departed 
spirits  take  cognizance  of  things  on  earth,  she  sees,  with  sat- 
isfaction, that  I  am  hasteimig  back  to  the  field  of  our  common 
labors.  She  sees,  with  delight  and  gratitude  to  God,  that  all 
her  children  are  situated  in  precise  accordance  with  her  last 
wishes  and  prayers.  And  glad  she  is  to  see  me  returning, 
not  unattended. 

"  Farewell,  rock  of  the  ocean.  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast 
given  me  a  'place  where  I  might  bury  my  dead.'  Blessings 
on  the  dear  friends  of  the  Saviour  who  dwell  there.  And,  if 
any  of  the  surviving  children  of  the  departed  should  ever 
enjoy  the  privilege,  which  is  denied  me,  of  visiting  and  shed- 
ding a  tear  over  her  grave,  may  a  double  portion  of  her 
heavenly  spirit  descend  and  rest  upon  them." 

When  off  the  Isle  of  France,  he  wrote : 

"  About  thirty-three  years  ago  I  went  with  my  dear  wif<i 
to  the  populous  city  of  the  dead  in  Port  Louis,  on  the  adja 
cent  island,  to  visit  the  new-made  grave  of  Harriet  Newell,  the 


496  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

first  American  missionary  who  left  this  world  for  heaven.  It 
has  been  my  privilege,  twice  since,  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to 
the  same  spot.  The  last  time,  my  second  departed  one  ex- 
pected to  find  her  resting-place  by  the  side  of  Mrs.  Newell ; 
but  the  grave  was  digging  in  another  island.  It  is  a  thought 
that  presses  on  me  at  this  moment,  how  little  the  missionary 
who  leaves  his  native  land  can  calculate  on  his  final  resting- 
place.  Out  of  twenty-five  missionaries,  male  and  female, 
with  whom  I  have  been  associated,  and  who  have  gone  be- 
fore me,  five  or  six  only  found  their  graves  in  those  places  to 
which  they  were  first  sent.  Strangers  and  pilgrims,  they 
had  no  abiding-place  on  earth  ;  they  sought  a  permanent 
abode  beyond  the  skies ;  and  they  sought  to  show  the  way 
thither  to  multitudes  who  were  groping  in  darkness,  and  saw 
it  not. 

"At  last  the  promontory  of  Amherst  loomed  into  sight. 
And  now,  on  the  green  bank  just  beyond,  I  discern,  with  a 
telescope,  the  small  enclosure  which  contains  the  sleeping- 
place  of  my  dear  Ann  and  her  daughter  Maria.  Like  my 
missionary  associates,  the  members  of  my  own  family  are 
scattered  far  and  Avide  ;  for  the  mounds  that  mark  their 
graves  stud  the  burial-places  of  Rangoon,  Amherst,  Maul- 
main,  Serampore,  and  St.  Helena.  What  other  place  shall 
next  be  added  to  the  list  ? 

"Above  eighteen  months  ago  I  sailed  from  these  shores 
with  a  heavy  heart,  distressed  at  leaving  my  friends  and  my 
work,  and  appalled  at  the  prospect  of  impending  death. 
With  mingled  emotions  I  now  return.  But  these  things  suit 
rather  the  eye  and  the  ear  of  private  friends.  I  will  only  add 
my  fervent  wish  that  the  Heaven-blessed  land  where  I  have 
been  so  warmly  received  during  my  late  brief  visit  may  pour 
forth  her  representatives,  her  wealth,  and  her  prayers,  to  en- 
lighten and  enrich  this  my  adopted  land,  whose  shores  are 
just  now  greeting  my  eyes." 

On  the  30th  of  November  he  arrived  at  Maulmain,  and 
clasped  once  more  in  his  arms  his  little  children,  Henry 
and  Edward,  from  whom  he  had  parted  more  than  eight- 


LAST  YEARS.  497 

een  months  before.      But,  alas !    one  little  wan    face  was 
missing. 

He  wrote  to  his  sister : 

"I  have  set  up  housekeeping  in  my  old  house;  and 
seems  like  home,  notwithstanding  the  devastation  that  deatn 
and  removal  have  made.  Emily  makes  one  of  the  best  wives 
and  kindest  mothers  to  the  children  that  ever  man  was  blessed 
with.  I  wish  you  were  here  to  make  one  of  the  family  ;  but 
I  suppose  that  can  not  be.  I  shall  now  go  on  with  the  dic- 
tionary and  other  missionary  work  as  usual.  Your  likeness 
is  an  excellent  one.  I  keep  that  and  the  children's  by  me 
constantly.  Shall  I  ever  forget  that  last  parting  in  Boston  ? 
No,  never,  till  we  meet  in  heaven." 

And  in  a  fond  letter  to  his  boys  in  America,  he  gives  a 
glimpse  of  the  little  home  in  Maulmain  from  which  unbend- 
ing necessity  had  exiled  them  forever : 

"  Maulmain,  Dcceinber  20,  1846. 

"  I  can  hardly  realize  that  I  am  sitting  in  the  old  house, 
where  we  all  lived  together  so  long  ;  and  now  your  mamma, 
yourselves,  your  sister  Abby  Ann,  and  little  Charlie  are 
gone.  It  is  now  evening.  I  am  writing  in  the  hall  where  I 
used  to  sit  and  study,  when  your  mamma  had  gone  down 
the  coast  with  Captain  and  Mrs.  Durand.  Your  new  mamma 
has  just  put  3'our  little  brothers,  Henry  and  Edward,  to  bed. 
They  lie  in  the  room  where  you  used  to  sleep  before  you  re- 
moved to  the  corner  room.  Henry  is  singing  and  talking 
aloud  to  himself ;  and  what  do  you  think  he  is  saying  ? 
Your  new  mamma  has  just  called  me  to  listen.  *  My  own 
mamma  went  away,  away  in  a  boat.  And  then  she  got 
wings  and  went  up.  And  Charlie,  too,  went  up,  and  they  are 
flying  above  the  moon  and  the  stars.'  L  preach  in  the  chapel, 
as  I  used  to  do,  but  have  not  yet  begun  to  work  at  the  dic- 
tionary ;  for  we  have  been  very  busy  seeing  company  and 
getting  our  house  and  things  in  order.     Everything  looks  as 

it  used  to  do  when  you  were  here We  found  Henry 

in  this  place,  when  we  arrived.     My  dear  boys,  I  don't  know 
32 


498  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

when  I  shall  see  you  again.  If  I  ever  should,  you  will  not 
be  the  dear  little  fellows  I  left  at  Worcester.  But  I  hope 
that  as  you  grow  larger,  and  change  the  features  that  are 
now  so  deeply  engraven  on  my  heart,  you  will  also  grow 
wiser  and  better,  and  become  more  worthy  of  my  fondest 
love.  That  you  will  give  your  hearts  to  the  Saviour  is  my 
most  earnest  desire.  Love  your  dear  uncle  and  aunt  New- 
ton.    Mind  all  they  say,  and  ever  try  to  please  them." 

Upon  his  return  Mr.  Judson  found  that  the  mission  had 
flourished  during  his  absence,  and.  was  able  to  send  an  en- 
couraging report  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary. 

"The  native  church,  under  the  care  of  brother  Stevens,  is 
not  much  enlarged,  but  it  is  much  improved,  in  consequence 
of  the  exclusion  of  several  unworthy  members,  and  the  ad- 
mission of  more  promising  characters,  chiefly  from  among 
the  children  of  the  converts.  Brother  Howard's  school  has 
greatly  improved  both  in  numbers  and  in  qualifications. 
Brother  Binney's  school,  which  was  just  beginning  when  I 
left,  has  attained  a  high  degree  of  respectability  and  useful- 
ness. The  Karen  missionaries  and  their  disciples  are  mostly 
absent  from  Maulmain  at  this  season  ;  but  I  understand  that 
prospects  in  that  department  of  the  mission  were  never  more 
encouraging.  The  printing-office  and  the  secular  business 
of  the  mission  are  managed  by  brother  Ranney  with  promp- 
titude and  efficiency.  Brother  Haswell  resides  here  at  pres- 
ent, superintending  the  printing  of  the  New  Testament  in 
the  Peguan,  and  is  preaching  on  all  occasions.  Brother 
Stilson  is  also  here,  making  and  superintending  the  printing 
of  elementary  books  for  schools  in  the  Burman — a  work  for 
which  he  has  a  peculiar  tact  djxdi  petichant." 

But  for  himself  he  still  ardently  cherished  the  purpose 
to  enter  Burmah  proper.  His  eye  was  upon  his  old  field, 
Rangoon.  To  be  sure,  the  new  Burman  king  was  a  bigoted 
Buddhist,  and  therefore  bitterly  opposed  to  the  propagation 
of  the  Christian  religion.  But  in  Maulmain  there  were 
laborers  enough  ;  while  in  Rangoon  he  would  be  favorably 


LAST  YEARS.  499 

situated  for  completing  the  dictionary,  as  he  would  there 
have  access  to  learned  men,  and  also  to  books  not  to  be 
found  in  Maulmain.  Moreover,  he  hoped  that  Burman  intol- 
erance might  at  last  yield,  and  he  was  eager  to  press  into 
the  interior  of  the  empire  and  establish  a  mission  in  Ava, 
the  scene  of  his  sufferings. 

Even  before  leaving  America  he  had  written  to  the  Cor- 
responding Secretary  on  this  point : 

"  The  accounts  of  the  late  revolution  in  Burmah  are  so 
contradictory,  and  the  prospect  of  more  toleration  so  indef- 
inite, that  no  certain  expectation  can  well  be  entertained. 
It  is  possible,  however,  that,  on  my  arriving  in  Maulmain, 
there  may  be  an  opening  for  me  to  proceed  to  Ava.  There 
is  sometimes  a  tide  in  affairs  which,  once  lost,  returns  not 
again.  Have  the  Board  sufficient  confidence  in  me  to  au- 
thorize me,  by  an  overland  dispatch  which  shall  meet  me  on 
arriving  in  Maulmain,  to  attempt  a  mission  at  Ava,  without 
waiting  for  further  permission,  or  being  under  the  necessity 
of  debating  the  matter  with  other  missionaries,  who  may 
demur,  for  want  of  something  express  from  the  Board  ? 

"  The  dictionary  would  not  be  done  so  soon,  if  I  should  go 
to  Ava  ;  but  it  would  be  done  7niich  better,  by  means  of  the 
aids  which  the  capital  would  furnish." 

Impelled  by  these  motives  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson,  taking 
with  them  their  two  little  boys,  embarked  at  Maulmain  for 
Rangoon  on  February  15,  1847. 

Only  two  months  and  a  half  had  passed  since  their  return 
from  America.  They  might  have  been  pardoned  had  they 
remained  longer  in  the  society  of  their  missionary  associ- 
ates in  Maulmain.  But  it  was  not  their  purpose  to  seek 
their  own  pleasure.  They  willingly  left  the  twilight  of 
Maulmain,  in  order  to  penetrate  the  dense  darkness  of  Ran- 
goon, although,  as  Mr.  Judson  wrote,  "  it  seemed  harder 
for  him  to  leave  Maulmain  for  Rangoon  than  to  leave  Bos- 
ton for  Maulmain." 

After  a  voyage  of  five  days  they  and  their  two  children 


goo  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSO^T. 

arrived  in  Rangoon.  Mr.  Judson  had  previously  made  a 
visit  there  alone,  in  order  "  to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  in 
Burmah  more  definitely  before  making  an  attempt  to  settle 
there."  He  had  on  that  occasion  hired,  for  fifty  rupees*  a 
month,  the  upper  part  of  a  large  brick  house,  which  Mrs.  Jud- 
son subsequently  named  "■  Bat  Castle."    He  describes  it  as — 

"A  place  dreary  indeed,  and  destitute  of  almost  all  out- 
ward comforts,  but  one  which  will  afford  an  opportunity  of 
Duilding  up  the  feeble  church  by  private  efforts,  and  of  seiz- 
ing the  first  opening  for  more  public  efforts  that  God  in  His 
providence  may  present,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  His  peo- 
ple in  beloved,  far-distant  America." 

Before   engaging  the   house   he  wrote   to   Mrs.  Judson  : 

"  The  place  looks  as  gloomy  as  a  prison I  shrink  at 

taking  you  and  the  children  into  such  a  den,  and  fear  you 
would  pine  and  die  in  it."  It  was  into  this  forbidding^ 
abode  that  Mr.  Judson  introduced  the  lady  to  whom  he  had 
been  so  recently  married.     He  wrote  : 

"  We  have  had  a  grand  bat  hunt  yesterday  and  to-da}'' — 
bagged  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  calculate  to  make  up  a 
round  thousand  before  we  have  done.  We  find  that,  in  hir- 
ing the  upper  story  of  this  den,  we  secured  the  lower  moiety 
only,  the  upper  moiety  thereof  being  preoccupied  by  a  thriv- 
ing colony  of  vagabonds,  who  fiare  up  through  the  night 
with  a  vengeance,  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  is  as  the 
sound  of  many  waters,  yea,  as  the  sound  of  your  boasted 
Yankee  Niagara  ;  so  that  sleep  departs  from  your  eyes,  and 
slumber  from  our  eyelids.  But  we  are  reading  them  some 
lessons  which  we  hope  will  be  profitable  to  all  parties  con- 
cerned." 

But  we  are  indebted  to  Mrs.  Judson's  pen,  in  a  letter  to 
her  younger  sister,  for  a  still  more  vivid  portraiture  oi 
"Bat  Castle": 


*  About  twenty-five  dollars. 


LAST   YEARS. 


SOI 


"  Bat  Castle  (Rangoon),  March  15,  1847. 
**  Dear  Kitty  :  I  write  you  from  walls  as  massive  as  any 
you  read  of  in  old  stories  and  a  great  deal  uglier — the  very 
eyeball  and  heart-core  of  an  old  white-bearded  Mussulman. 
Think  of  me  in  an  immense  brick  house  with  rooms  as  large 
as  the  entire  *  loggery '  (our  centre  room  is  twice  as  large, 
and  has  no  window),  and  only  one  small  window  apiece. 
When  I  speak  of  windows,  do  not  think  I  make  any  allusion 
to  glass — of  course  not.  The  windows  (holes)  are  closed  by 
means  of  heavy  board  or  plank  shutters,  tinned  over  on  the 
outside,  as  a  preventive  of  fire.  The  bamboo  houses  of  the 
natives  here  are  like  flax  or  tinder,  and  the  foreigners,  who 
have  more  than  the  one  cloth  which  Burmans  wrap  about 
the  body,  and  the  mat  they  sleep  on,  dare  live  in  nothing  but 
brick.  Imagine  us,  then,  on  the  second  floor  of  this  immense 
den,  with  nine  rooms  at  our  command,  the  smallest  of  which 
(bathing-room  and  a  kind  of  pantry)  are,  I  think,  quite  as 
large  as  your  dining-room,  and  the  rest  very  much  larger. 
Part  of  the  floors  are  of  brick,  and  part  of  boards  ;  but  old 
'  Green  Turban '  whitewashed  them  all,  with  the  walls,  be- 
fore we  came,  because  the  Doctor  told  him,  when  he  was 
over  here,  that  he  must  *  make  the  house  shine  for  madam.' 
He  did  make  it  shine  with  a  vengeance,  between  whitev/ash- 
ing  and  greasing.  They  oil  furniture  in  this  country,  as 
Americans  do  mahogany  ;  but  all  his  doors  and  other  wood- 
work were  fairly  dripping,  and  we  have  not  got  rid  of  the 
smell  yet ;  nor,  with  all  our  rubbing,  is  it  quite  safe  to  hold 
too  long  on  the  door.  The  partitions  are  all  of  brick,  and 
very  thick,  and  the  door-sills  are  built  tip,  so  that  I  go  over 
them  at  three  or  four  steps,  Henry  mounts  and  falls  off,  and 
Edward  gets  on  all-fours,  and  accomplishes  the  pass  with 
more  safety.  The  floor  overhead  is  quite  low,  and  the  beams, 
which  are  frequent,  afford  shelter  to  thousands  and  thousands 
of  bats,  that  disturb  us  in  the  daytime  only  by  a  little  cricket- 
like music,  but  in  the  night — oh,  if  you  could  only  hear  them 
carouse  !  The  mosquito  curtains  are  our  only  safeguard  ; 
and  getting  up  is  horrible.  The  other  night  I  awoke  faint, 
with  a  feeling  of  suffocation  ;  and  without  waiting  to  think 


502  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON: 

jumped  out  on  the  floor.  You  would  have  thought  *  Old 
Nick '  himself  had  come  after  you,  for,  of  course,  you  believe 
these  firm  friends  of  the  ladies  of  the  broofustick  incipient  imps. 
If  there  is  nothing  wickeder  about  them  than  about  the  little 
sparrows  that  come  in  immense  swarms  to  the  same  beams, 
pray  what  do  they  do  all  through  the  hours  of  darkness,  and 
why  do  they  circle  and  whizz  about  a  poor  mortal's  head, 
flap  their  villainous  wings  in  one's  face,  and  then  whisk  away, 
as  if  snickerifig  at  the  annoyance  ?  We  have  had  men  at  work 
nearly  a  week  trying  to  thin  them  out,  and  have  killed  a 
great  many  hundreds  ;  but  I  suppose  their  little  demoniac 
souls  come  back,  each  with  an  attendant,  for  I  am  sure  there 
are  twice  as  many  as  at  first.  Everything,  walls,  tables, 
chairs,  etc.,  are  stained  by  them.  Besides  the  bats,  we  are 
blessed  with  our  full  share  of  cockroaches,  beetles,  spiders, 
lizards,  rats,  ants,  mosquitoes,  and  bed-bugs.  With  the  last 
the  woodwork  is  all  alive,  and  the  ants  troop  over  the  house 
in  great  droves,  though  there  are  scattering  ones  beside. 
Perhaps  twenty  have  crossed  my  paper  since  I  have  been 
writing.  Only  one  cockroach  has  paid  me  a  visit,  but  the 
neglect  of  these  gentlemen  has  been  fully  made  up  by  a  com- 
pany of  black  bugs  about  the  size  of  the  end  of  your  little 
finger — nameless  adventurers."  .... 

The  Judsons  were  scarcely  settled  in  these  forbidding 
quarters  when  they  learned  that  the  house  in  Maulmain, 
where  they  had  deposited  their  best  clothing  and  most 
valuable  goods — many  of  them  presents  from  dear  friends 
whom  they  were  to  see  no  more — had  taken  fire  and  had 
been  burned  to  the  ground  with  all  its  contents.  They  had 
brought  but  a  few  articles  with  them,  not  being  willing  to 
trust  the  most  valuable  part  of  their  personal  effects  to  the 
rapacious  Government  at  Rangoon.  They  had  thought  it 
best  to  draw  their  supplies  from  Maulmain,  and  now  the 
precious  consignment  of  articles  which  they  had  brought 
with  them  from  their  dear  native  land  had  been  consumed 
in  the  flames.  But  Mr.  Judson  had  long  since  mastered  the 
science  of  contentment.     He  had  been  instructed  both  "  to 


LAST   YEARS.  503 

be  full  and  to  be  hungry;  both  to  abound  and  to  suffer 
need."  He  wrote  to  the  Rev.  E.  A.  Stevens,  a  beloved 
fellow-sufferer  in  this  calamity  : 

"  Rangoon,  March  2,  1S47. 
"  *  The  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  ;  blcssea 
be  the  iiame  of  the  Lord.'  My  heart  overflows  with  gratitude, 
and  my  eyes  with  tears,  as  I  pen  these  precious  inspired 
words.  There  are  some  other  lines,  quaint  in  garb,  but  rich 
in  core,  that  are  worth  more  than  all  your  house  and  con- 
tents : 

"  '  Blessed  be  God  for  all, 

For  all  things  here  below  ; 

For  every  loss  and  every  cross 

To  my  advantage  grow.' 

"  But  I  sympathize  with  you  and  dear  sister  Stevens. 
Brother  Bullard  has  also  sustained  a  heavy  loss.  Brother 
Brayton's  will  not,  on  the  whole,  be  any  great  loss.  As  to 
me — the  leeks  and  onions  that  were  packed  up  in  those  two 
valuable  boxes,  worth  about  seven  or  eight  hundred  rupees, 
were  very  bright  to  the  eye  and  soft  to  the  feel  ;  and  many 
of  them  we  shall  greatly  need  if  we  live  a  year  or  two  longer  ; 
but  they  have  gone  to  dust  and  ashes,  where  I  have  seen 
many  bright,  dear  eyes  go,  to  rescue  any  pair  of  which  I 
v.'-ould  have  given  those  boxes  ten  times  over, 

"  I  am  glad  and  thankful  that  the  New  Testament  and  the 
manuscripts  are  not  wholly  lost,  though  some  are.  And  I 
am  glad  that  so  much  interest  has  been  excited  in  the  Chris- 
tian community  at  Maulmain.  ■  I  am  glad,  also,  that  my 
house  was  empty,  and  ready  to  afford  you  immediate  shelter. 

"We  arrived  here  the  Saturday  after  leaving  Maulmain, 
and  got  our  things  through  the  ciistom-house  on  the  next 
Monday,  a  week  ago  yesterday.  We  now  begin  to  feel  a 
little  settled,  and  are  about  commencing  a  routine  of  study, 
and,  I  may  add,  missionary  labor  ;  for  though  the  Burmese 
converts  are  few  and  timid,  the  Karens  flock  in  from  different 
parts,  and  occupy  a  good  deal  of  my  time.  All  the  men 
understand  Burman  pretty  well,  and  I  have  had  some  inter- 
esting meetings  among  them 


504  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"  I  have  recommenced  the  work  of  the  dictionary,  which 
has  been  suspended  nearly  two  years.  Why  has  this  griev- 
ous interruption  been  permitted,  and  all  this  precious  time 
lost  ?  And  why  are  our  houses  and  property  allowed  to  be 
burned  up  ?  And  why  are  those  most  dear  to  us,  and  most 
qualified  to  be  useful  in  the  cause,  torn  from  our  arms  and 
dashed  into  the  grave,  and  all  their  knowledge  and  qualifica- 
tion with  them  ?  Because  infinite  wisdom  and  love  will  have 
it  so.  Because  it  is  best  for  us,  and  best  for  them.,  and  best 
for  the  cause,  and  best  for  the  interests  of  eternity,  that  it 
should  be  so.  And  blessed  be  God,  we  know  it,  and  are 
thankful,  and  rejoice,  and  say.  Glory  be  to  God." 

Missionary  operations  in  Rangoon  were  obstructed  from 
the  very  outset  by  the  intolerance  of  the  Burmese  Govern- 
ment. It  must  be  remembered  that  the  missionaries  were 
no  longer  under  the  protection  of  the  English  flag,  as  they 
had  been  at  Maulmain.  They  were  exposed  to  the  barbari- 
ties of  a  bigoted  and  unlimited  despotism.  The  Burman 
monarch  and  his  younger  brother,  the  heir  apparent,  were 
both  rigid  Buddhists.  And  the  administration  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, though  more  friendly  to  strangers,  had  become 
more  doggedly  intolerant  of  Christianity  than  that  of  the 
late  king  Tharawadi.  Buddhism  was  in  full  force  through- 
out the  empire,  and  the  prospects  of  a  missionary  were  never 
darker.  The  vice-governor  of  Rangoon,  who  was  at  that 
time  acting-governor,  is  described  by  Mr.  Judson  as  being 
the  most  ferocious,  bloodthirsty  monster  he  had  ever  known 
in  Burmah.  His  house  and  court-yard  resounded  day  and 
night  with  the  screams  of  people  under  torture. 

"Even  foreigners,"  Mr.  Judson  wrote,  "are  not  beyond  his 
grasp.  He  lately  wreaked  his  rage  on  some  Armenians  and 
Mussulmans,  and  one  of  the  latter  class  died  in  the  hands  of 
a  subordinate  officer.  Hir  crime  was  quite  a  venial  one  ;  but 
in  order  to  extort  money,  he  was  tortured  so  barbarously 
that  the  blood  streamed  from  his  mouth,  and  he  was  dead  in 
an  hour." 


LAST  YEARS.  505 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Mr.  Judson  had  been  re- 
ceived and  patronized  by  the  Government,  not  as  a  mis- 
sionary or  propagator  of  religion,  but  as  the  priest  of  a 
foreign  reHgion,  ministering  to  the  foreigners  in  the  place. 

Missionary  operations,  accordingly,  had  to  be  conducted 
with  the  utmost  secrecy.  Any  known  attempt  at  proselyting 
would  have  been  instantly  amenable  at  the  criminal  tribunal, 
and  would  probably  have  been  punished  by  the  imprison- 
ment or  death  of  the  proselyte,  and  the  banishment  of  the 
missionary.  Nothing  but  a  wholesome  fear  of  the  British 
Government  kept  these  bloodthirsty  wretches  from  the 
throat  of  the  missionary  himself.  Every  step  was  cautious 
— every  movement  slow.  Mrs.  Judson  quietly  pursued  the 
two  tasks  of  learning  the  language  and  writing  a  Memorial 
of  Mrs.  Sarah  Boardman  Judson,  which  was  finished  during 
this  trying  period  at  Rangoon.  Mr.  Judson  kept  at  work 
on  the  dictionary,  while  he  gathered  for  secret  worship 
the  few  scattered  members  of  the  native  church,  and  the 
inquirers  who,  at  the  risk  of  imprisonment  and  death,  visited 
him  by  night.  He  thus  wrote  to  the  Hon.  Heman  Lincoln 
and  family  : 

.  .  .  .  "  From  this  land  of  darkness  and  intolerance  I  ad- 
dress a  line  to  you,  my  dear,  very  dear  friends,  in  blessed 
America,  in  bright,  beautiful  Boston  and  vicinity.  It  seems 
like  an  Elysian  vision,  that  I  have  so  lately  seen  your  happy 
dwellings  and  elegant  surroundings — a  vision,  however,  dis- 
pelled instantly  by  a  crushing  nightmare  feeling,  on  looking 
round  upon  the  wretched  habitations,  the  rude,  filthy  popu- 
lation, the  towering  pagodas,  and  the  swarms  of  well-fed 
priests  which  everywhere  here  pain  the  eye  and  the  heart. 
Buddhism  has  come  out  in  full  bloom.  The  few  traces  of 
Christianity  discoverable  in  the  early  stages  of  the  mission 
seem  almost  obliterated.  The  present  king  and  his  brother 
the  heir  presumptive,  are  devoted  Buddhists,  especially  the 
latter.  He  begs  his  elder  brother  to  allow  him  to  turn  priest, 
that  he  may  gratify  his  pious  propensities  ;  and  on  being  re- 


5o6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

fused,  he  does,  poor  man  !  all  that  he  can.  He  descends 
from  his  prince-regal  seat,  pounds  and  winnows  the  rice  with 
his  own  hands,  washes  and  boils  it  in  his  own  cook-house, 
and  then,  on  bended  knees,  presents  it  to  the  priests.  This 
strong  pulsation  at  the  heart  has  thrown  fresh  blood  through- 
out the  once  shrivelled  system  of  the  national  superstition  ; 
and  now  every  one  vies  with  his  neighbor  in  building  pagodas 
and  making  offerings  to  the  priests.  What  can  one  poor  mis- 
sionary effect,  accompanied  by  his  yet  speechless  wife,  and 
followed  by  three  men  and  one  woman  from  Maulmain,  and 
summoning  to  his  aid  the  aged  pastor  of  Rangoon  and  eight 
or  ten  surviving  members  of  the  church  ?  But  as  the  Mussul- 
man says,  God  is  great.  He  sitteth  on  the  heavens,  he  setteth 
His  foot  on  the  earth,  and  the  inhabitants  are  as  grasshop- 
pers before  Him.  He  dwelleth  also  in  the  humble  and  con- 
trite soul ;  and  the  rays  of  indwelling  glory  appear  more 
resplendent,  gleaming  through  the  chinks  of  the  humble 
tenement.  O  for  that  humility  and  contrition,  O  for  that 
simplicity  of  faith,  which  will  secure  the  indwelling  glory  ! 
May  such  sinners  as  we  are  hope  for  such  a  blessing  ?  O  help 
us  with  your  prayers,  ye  who  sit  under  the  droppings  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  are  sometimes  allowed  to  approach  the 
presence  ;  O  Thou  that  hearest  prayer,  help  Thou  our  unbe- 
lief ! 

"  Last  Sabbath  was  our  stated  communion  season,  occur- 
ring once  in  four  months.  No  alcoholic  liquor  can  be  pro- 
cured in  this  place,  the  importation  of  all  such  being  strictly 
forbidden.  Our  wine  was  a  decoction  of  raisins,  the  unadul- 
terated juice  of  the  grape.  Ten  Burmans,  one  Karen,  and 
two  Americans  came  around  the  lowly,  glorious  board.  To- 
day I  had  about  the  same  number  of  disciples,  and  several 
listeners,  two  of  w^hom  remained  long  after  worship,  and, 
with  two  others  whom  I  have  found  since  arriving  here,  make 
up  the  small  number  of  four  hopeful  inquirers.  But  all  our 
operations  are  conducted  in  secrecy,  I  have  been  introduced 
to  the  Government,  not  as  a  missionary — though  the  gover- 
nor and  the  vice-governor  both  knew  me  well  from  old  ac- 
quaintance— but  as  a  minister  of  a  foreign  religion,  minister- 


LAST   YEARS. 


507 


ing  to  foreigners  in  the  place,  and  as  a  lexicographer,  laboring 
to  promote  the  literature  of  both  nations  !  In  one  room, 
therefore,  of  the  upper  story  of  the  brick  house — for  which 
upper  story  I  am  obliged  to  pay  fifty  rupees  a  month — will 
the  Christian  public  bear  me  out  in  this  extra  expense  ? — I 
have  paraded  my  lexicographical  apparatus,  and  commenced 
hammering  at  the  anvil  of  the  dictionary,  which  has  hardly 
resounded  with  my  blows  for  two  years  past ;  two  years, 
alas  !  lost,  lost,  in  tossing  on  the  sea,  closing  dear  eyes,  dig- 
ging graves,  rending  heartstrings,  and  feeling  about  for  new 
ones.  Thanks  be  to  God,  I  have  a  sweet  little  family 
around  me  once  more — F.  F.,  Harry,  and  Eddy.  God  is  not 
only 'great,' but  good.  God  is  love.  And  He  can  change 
our  hard,  selfish  hearts,  and  make  them  full  of  love.  Do  I 
not  love  you,  dear  friends  ?  Shall  I  see  you  no  more  ?  Yes, 
in  heaven,  whither  we  are  fast  hastening." 

The  condition  of  the  missionaries  in  Rangoon  was  made 
still  more  distressing  by  sickness.  The  great  brick  house 
became  a  hospital.  One  member  of  the  family  after  another 
was  prostrated  by  disease.  Their  maladies  were  also  aggra- 
vated by  the  want  of  nourishing  food. 

Mrs.  Judson  gives  an  interesting  reminiscence  of  this 
doleful  episode  in  Rangoon  : 

"In  the  meantime  the  rainy  season  set  in  ;  and  it  proved 
a  season  of  unusual  sickliness,  even  for  that  sickly  place.  To 
add  still  more  to  the  uncomfortableness  of  our  situation,  the 
season  for  the  Buddhistic  Lent,  which  continues  several 
months,  came  round  ;  and,  probably  for  the  first  time  in  fifty 
years,  foreigners  were  so  far  compelled  to  observe  it  as  to 
abstain  from  eating  flesh  or  fowl.  If  we  had  known  of  the 
prohibition  in  season,  we  could  have  been  prepared  ;  but  it 
took  us  quite  by  surprise.  A  few  fish  were  exhibited  in  the 
bazaar  ;  but  it  was  so  disreputable  to  trade,  even  in  these, 
that  they  could  scarcely  be  found,  except  in  a  half-putrid 
state.  The  only  baker  in  town  left  soon  after  our  arrival  ; 
and  we  were  forced  to  live  almost  exclusively  on  boiled  rice 
and  fruits.     To  the  former  I  unfortunately  took  an  uncon- 


5o8  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

querable  disgust  ;  and  the  latter  proved  unwholesome  to  all 
of  us.  One  child  was  seized  with  erysipelas ;  the  other  with 
a  complication  of  diseases  brought  on,  as  we  supposed,  by 
the  meagre  diet,  and  exposure  to  the  damp  winds  ;  and  Dr. 
Judson  himself  had  a  most  violent  attack  of  dysentery,  which 
kept  him  from  his  study-table  six  weeks.  For  myself,  my 
appetite  had  failed  in  proportion  to  the  means  of  gratifying 
it ;  so,  without  being  ill,  I  was  so  reduced  in  strength  as 
often,  in  walking  across  the  room,  to  fall,  or  rather  slide 
down  on  the  floor,  not  from  faintness,  but  sheer  physical 
weakness.  One  of  the  assistants  also  took  the  fever ;  and 
the  nurse  I  brought  from  Maulmain,  the  only  woman  besides 
myself  in  the  household,  became  seriously  ill.  Of  course  we 
had  no  medical  adviser  ;  and  if  we  had  desired  it  ever  so 
much,  we  could  not  get  away,  as  the  monsoon  was  now  at  it? 
height,  and  the  small  native  vessels  in  the  harbor  were  no< 
only  without  accommodations  for  invalids,  but  too  frail  tc 
be  trusted  with  the  freight  of  human  lives." 

And  thus  again  to  her  friends  in  America  she  wrote  : 

"  Rangoon,  June  16,  1847. 
"Trouble  on  trouble — trouble  on  trouble!  You  could 
scarce  imagine,  dear  aunt  Cynthia,  people  in  a  worse  con- 
dition than  we  are  now.  Last  Saturday  evening  Dr.  J.  came 
into  my  room  with  red  eyes  and  a  voice  all  tremulous  with 
weeping.  '  We  must  be  at  the  worst  now,'  he  said  ;  '  and  in 
all  my  troubles  in  this  dreadful  country,  I  never  before 
looked  on  so  discouraging  a  prospect.  We  are  hunted  down 
here  like  wild  beasts  ;  watched  by  Government  and  plotted 
against  by  Catholic  priests.  The  churches  at  home  have 
made  no  provision  for  our  going  to  Ava,  the  governor  is 
importuned  to  send  us  out  of  the  country,  the  monsoon  is 
raging,  and  we  could  not  go  to  Maulmain  if  we  wished,  and 
you  are  failing  every  day — it  seems  to  me  dying  before  my 
eyes — without  the  possibility  of  obtaining  either  medicines 
or  a  physician."  .... 


LAST  YEARS. 


509 


To  what  straits  the  family  was  reduced  for  food  may  be 
seen  in  the  following  sketch  from  Mrs.  Judson's  pen  : 

"  Our  milk  is  a  mixture  of  buffaloes'  milk,  water,  and  some- 
thing else  which  we  can  not  make  out.  We  have  changed 
our  milk- woman  several  times,  but  it  does  no  good.  The 
butter  we  make  from  it  is  like  lard  with  flakes  of  tallow. 
But  it  is  useless  to  write  about  these  things — you  can  get  no 
idea.  I  must  tell  you,  however,  of  the  grand  dinner  we  had 
one  day.  '  You  must  contrive  and  get  something  that 
mamma  can  eat,'  the  doctor  said  to  our  Burmese  purveyor  ; 
*  she  will  starve  to  death.'  '  What  shall  I  get  ? '  '  Any- 
thing.' '  Anything  ? '  '  Anything.'  Well,  we  did  have  a 
capital  dinner,  though  we  tried  in  vain  to  find  out  by  the 
bones  what  it  was.  Henry  said  it  was  touk-tahs,  a  species  of 
lizard,  and  I  should  have  thought  so  too,  if  the  little  animal 
had  been  of  a  fleshy  consistence.  Cook  said  he  didnt  know, 
but  he  grinned  a  horrible  grin  which  made  my  stomach  heave 
a  little,  notwithstanding  the  deliciousness  of  the  meat.  In 
the  evening  we  called  Mr.  Bazaar-man.  *  What  did  we  have 
for  dinner  to-day?'  'Were  they  good?'  'Excellent.'  A 
tremendous  explosion  of  laughter,  in  which  the  cook  from 
his  dish-room  joined  as  loud  as  he  dared.  '  What  were  they  ? ' 
'■Rats!'  A  common  servant  would  not  have  played  such  a 
trick,  but  it  was  one  of  the  doctor's  assistants  who  goes  to 
bazaar  for  us.  You  know  the  Chinese  consider  rats  a  great 
delicacy,  and  he  bought  them  at  one  of  their  shops." 

But  amid  all  the  discouragements  and  sufferings  of  his  life 
in  Rangoon,  Mr.  Judson  did  not  lapse  into  despondency. 
He  wrote  to  a  friend : 

"  My  sojourn  in  Rangoon,  though  tedious  and  trying  in 
some  respects,  I  regard  as  one  of  the  brightest  spots,  one  of 
the  greenest  oases  in  the  diversified  wilderness  of  my  life. 
May  God  make  me  thankful  for  all  the  blessings  which  have 
hitherto  fallen  to  my  lot,  and  for  the  hope  of  those  richer 
blessings  which  are  just  concealed  by  the  cloud  of  sense  from 
our  spiritual  vision.     If  this  world  is  so  happy,  what  must 


5IO  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

heaven  be  ?  And  as  to  trials,  let  us  bear  up  under  them, 
remembering  that  if  we  suffer  for  Christ's  sake,  with  Him  we 
shall  reign." 

At  last,  however,  the  intolerance  of  the  Government  be- 
came so  fierce  that  there  was  no  hope  of  retaining  a  foot- 
hold in  Rangoon,  without  going  to  Ava  in  order  to  secure 
the  favor  of  the  royal  court. 

"One  Saturday  morning,"  says  Mrs.  Judson,  "we  were 
startled  by  some  private  intimations  that  the  bloody  ray- 
woon,  as  one  of  the  vice-governors  was  called,  had  his  eye  on 
us  ;  and  a  little  before  evening  the  hints  were  fully  confirmed. 
We  learned  from  an  undoubted  source  that  a  police  guard 
had  been  stationed  in  the  vicinity  of  our  house,  with  orders 
to  seize  every  native,  not  known  to  be  a  servant  of  the  house, 
seen  coming  out  of  it.  We  inferred  that  their  policy  was  not 
to  disturb  ics  at  present,  but  the  blow  was  first  to  fall  on  the 
poor  Christians.  Several  Karens  were  stopping  with  us,  and 
in  addition  to  our  usual  company  of  worshippers  quite  a 
number  of  invited  friends  and  strangers  had  promised  to  be 
with  us  on  the  next  day.  The  church  had  been  making  indi- 
vidual efforts  to  enlarge  the  congregation.  I  shall  never  for- 
get the  expression  of  my  husband's  face,  as  though  really 
piercing  to  the  invisible,  when  he  exclaimed,  '  I  tell  you,  if 
we  had  but  the  power  to  see  them,  the  air  above  us  is  thick 
with  contending  spirits — the  good  and  the  bad,  striving  for 
the  mastery.  I  know  where  final  victory  lies,  but  the  struggle 
may  be  a  long  one.*  There  was  not  much  time  for  talking, 
however.  He  communicated  the  state  of  things,  as  far  as  he 
thought  expedient,  to  his  two  native  assistants,  and  sent 
them  out  to  warn  the  nearer  worshippers.  In  this,  great 
caution  was  necessary,  in  order  to  prevent  a  panic  ;  and  I 
suppose  that  the  Rangoon  Christians  have  never,  to  this  day 
known  the  extent  of  their  danger.  As  the  assistants,  by  an 
especial  arrangement,  did  not  return  till  after  our  landlord's 
hour  for  closing  the  gate.  Dr.  Judson,  with  some  difficulty 
got  the  key  into  his  own  possession  ;  and  so,  in  the  first  gray 
of  the  morning,  the  Karens  were  guided  out  of  town,  and  ad- 


LAST  YEARS.  51I 

vised  to  return  to  the  jungle.  The  last  place  to  which  the 
assistants  carried  their  warning,  on  Sunday  morning,  was  a 
little  village  five  miles  from  Rangoon,  where  they  remained 
till  toward  evening.  Dr.  Judson  was  afraid  of  compromising 
the  Christians  by  going  to  any  of  their  houses  that  day  ;  but 
he  had  advised  them,  through  the  assistants,  how  to  hold 
w^orship,  and  we  knew  of  several  places  where  little  knots  of 
men  and  women  were  gathered  for  prayer. 

"  These  demonstrations  on  the  part  of  Government  were 
followed  up  by  a  series  of  petty  annoyances  and  insults, 
which  effectually  precluded  the  possibility  of  accomplishing 
much  good.  The  governor  was  friendly,  but  weak  and 
cowardly  ;  and  we  soon  found  that  his  protection  was  really 
worthless,  except  as  he  could  hold  the  petty  officers  in  awe. 
The  bloody  ray-woon  laughed  at  his  authority,  and  once 
actually  assembled  the  troops  against  him,  when  the  poor 
governor  yielded.  Both  Christians  and  inquirers,  however, 
still  came  to  us  in  private  ;  and  many  a  man,  who  refused  to 
take  even  a  book  from  the  teacher's  hands,  would  watch  his 
opportunity,  when  going  out,  to  snatch  one  from  a  box 
placed  near  the  door  for  that  purpose,  and  hide  it  in  his 
dress,  congratulating  himself,  no  doubt,  that  he  was  unsus- 
pected even  by  us." 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  only  hope  lay  in  a  visit  to 
Ava.  Mr.  Judson's  heart  was  set  upon  this.  He  believed 
that  it  was  the  only  way  by  which  the  Gospel  could  be 
established  in  Burmah  proper;  besides,  in  the  completion 
of  his  dictionary,  he  desired  to  avail  himself  of  the  help  of 
•the  scholars  and  the  literature  to  be  found  only  at  the 
capital.  And  bitter  indeed  was  his  disappointment  when 
the  policy  of  retrenchment  at  home  not  only  prevented  his 
pushing  on  to  Ava,  but  also  compelled  him  to  retreat  from 
Rangoon.  It  was  with  an  almost  broken  heart  that  this 
wise  and  intrepid  leader,  after  this  last  fruitless  effort  to 
break  the  serried  ranks  of  Burman  intolerance,  returned  to 
Maulmain  in  obedience  to  the  timid  and  narrow  policy  of 
his  brethren  in  America.     He  wrote  : 


512  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"I  am  persuaded,  as  I  have  been  for  years  past,  that  the 
only  way  to  keep  footing  in  Rangoon  is  to  obtain  some  coun- 
tenance at  Ava.  My  principal  object  in  coming  hither  was  to 
ascertain  the  practicability  and  probable  advantage  of  pro- 
ceeding to  the  capital.  The  present  governor  has  given  his 
permission,  and  the  season  favorable  for  going  up  the  river 
is  not  far  distant.  But  at  the  approaching  crisis,  I  find  my 
self  destitute  of  the  requisite  means.  The  Board  have  ap 
proved  the  measure,  but  have  not  been  able  to  accompan- 
their  approval  with  the  needful  remittance.  On  the  contrary 
I  learn  from  my  last  letters  from  Maulmain,  that  the  annua 
appropriation  for  the  Burman  mission  is  ten  thousand  rupee 
less  than  the  current  expenses  require.  The  brethren  hav 
been  obliged  to  retrench  in  every  department,  instead  o' 
being  able  to  make  an  appropriation  for  a  new  enterprise 
My  extra  expense  in  Rangoon  for  assistants  and  house-ren 
is  eighty-six  rupees  a  month,  and  they  have  been  able  tc 
allow  me  seventeen  and  a  half  only.  The  Mission  Secretar} 
writes  me  that  for  anything  beyond  that  sum  I  must  look 
not  to  their  treasury,  but  to  the  Board.  Instead,  therefore,  o 
entering  on  a  new  and  expensive  undertaking,  I  find  mysel 
unable  to  remain  in  Rangoon.  But  no  ;  I  might  hope  that  ai 
appeal  home  would  provide  the  means  for  remaining  here 
but  in  present  circumstances,  unable  to  remain  to  any  advan 
tage  without  making  friends  at  Ava,  and  having  no  hope  tha 
the  Board  will  be  able  to  commence  a  new  station,  or  evei 
sustain  the  old  ones  much  longer,  there  remains  nothing  fo: 
me  but  to  fall  back  upon  Maulmain. 

"  It  is  my  growing  conviction  that  the  Baptist  churches  ii 
America  are  behind  the  age  in  missionary  spirit.  They  nov 
and  then  make  a  spasmodic  effort  to  throw  off  a  nightmare 
debt  of  son.e  years'  accumulation,  and  then  sink  back  into 
unconscious  repose.  Then  come  paralyzing  orders  to  re- 
trench ;  new  enterprises  are  checked  in  their  very  concep- 
tion, and  applicants  for  missionary  employ  are  advised  to 
wait,  and  soon  become  merged  in  the  ministry  at  home. 
Several  cases  of  that  sort  I  encountered  during  my  late  visit 
to  the  United  States,  This  state  of  things  can  not  last  always 


LAST  YEARS.  513 

The  Baptist  missions  will  probably  pass  into  the  hands  of 
other  denominations,  or  be  temporarily  suspended  ;  and 
those  who  have  occupied  the  van  will  fall  back  into  the  rear. 
Nebuchadnezzar  will  be  driven  out  from  men,  to  eat  grass 
like  an  ox,  until  seven  tim.es  pass  over  him.  But  he  will,  at 
length,  recover  his  senses,  and  be  restored  to  the  throne  of 
his  kingdom,  and  reign  over  the  whole  earth." 

And  how  deeply  his  heroic  nature  mourned  over  the  sig- 
nal to  retreat  may  be  seen  in  the  description  of  the  situation 
at  Rangoon,  as  given  by  her  who  shared  with  him  this 
bitter  experience : 

"Dr.  Judson,  when  he  could  keep  down  his  groans,  used 
to  speak  of  our  position  as  'the  pass  of  the  Splugen,'  and 
say  he  had  no  doubt  we  should  find  sunny  vales  and  fruited 
vineyards  the  other  side.  The  Government  was  certainly 
very  bad,  and  our  prospects,  at  the  best,  misty  ;  yet  as  soon 
as  his  health  and  the  children's  began  to  amend,  our  courage 
revived.  We  could  not  bear,  now  we  had  gone  so  far,  and 
been  through  so  much,  to  think  of  retreating,  without  an 
effort  to  get  to  Ava.  For  myself,  as  I  believe  is  natural  to 
the  practical  minds  of  women,  I  sat  down  to  examine  the 
worst  features  of  the  case  in  detail.  We  should  of  course  be 
subjected  to  inconceivable  annoyances,  but  we  must  trust 
Providence  to  give  us  wise  thoughts.  We  very  likely  might 
be  banished  ;  but  we  could  always  hold  ourselves  in  readi- 
ness to  go,  and  the  loss  of  the  few  goods  we  had  would  not 
be  much.  Possibly  we  should  be  imprisoned  ;  but  I  did  not 
think  that  very  likely,  and  we  should  always  have  means  of 
informing  our  friends  in  Maulmain.  Death  was  the  worst. 
We  must  endure  it  some  time.  If  it  came  a  little  earlier,  it 
would  be  in  a  good  cause ;  and  there  would  be  faithful 
Christians  about  us,  who  would  never  rest  till  they  had 
taken  the  children  to  Maulmain.  The  way  seemed  clear  to 
me.  Dr.  Judson  said  it  was  scarcely  possible  for  us  to  en- 
counter the  complication  of  troubles  that  we  had  already 
passed  through  in  Rangoon.  Ava,  he  said,  was  always  bet- 
ter governed  than  Rangoon  ;  and  this  starving  of  people 
2,0 


514  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

during  Lent  had  never  occurred  before  in  all  his  missionary 
life,  and  was  not  likely  to  occur  again  ;  besides,  the  rains 
were  less  heavy,  and  consequently  the  rainy  season  less  sick- 
ly. In  addition  to  this,  he  had  a  friend  at  court — a  Burman 
of  rank,  who  loved  him,  and  was  exerting  himself  to  the  ut- 
most to  gain  respect  for  the  '  wise  man,'  and  to  explain  that 
Americans  were  not  Englishmen,  The  plan  of  going  to  Ava 
really  seemed,  on  the  whole,  feasible.  Accordingly  Dr.  Jud- 
son  used  his  first  returning  strength  to  call  on  the  governor, 
to  obtain  permission  to  go.  Not  that  we  could  not  go  with- 
out permission  ;  but  it  was  polite  and  conciliatory  to  ask, 
and  in  the  permission  would  be  an  implied  exemption  from 
annoyance  in  getting  away,  and  protection — probably  that 
of  a  Government  flag  or  official  umbrella — on  the  river.  The 
Lent  was  not  yet  over  ;  but  what  with  boxes  of  biscuit  from 
Maulmain,  bribing  a  Mussulman — a  rascally  fellow,  who 
afterward  came  and  robbed  us  of  our  dearly-bought  treasure 
— to  obtain  fowls  for  us  secretly,  and  the  improved  health  of 
some  of  us,  we  began  to  be  quite  valorous.  As  Dr.  Judson 
expressed  it,  'our  faces  began  to  shine.'  Indeed,  we  had  not 
been  very  desponding  any  of  the  time.  Never,  except  dur- 
ing an  occasional  hour,  when  his  illness  was  most  alarming, 
did  his  courage  falter.  It  was  delightful  to  be  so  directly  in 
the  hands  of  God.  Then,  we  had  not  expected  much  when 
we  left  Maulmain.  The  church  in  Rangoon  had  been  aroused, 
a  few  baptisms  had  taken  place,  and  several  more  hopeful 
conversions  ;  and  the  way  to  Ava,  if  not  the  golden  city  itself, 
was  open  before  us. 

"  The  letter  from  Maulmain  with  no  appropriation  for  our 
contemplated  expedition,  and  giving  us  only  twenty  rupees  to 
cover  the  eighty-six  rupees  we  were  even  then  monthly  ex- 
pending, came  upon  us  like  a  sudden  tornado  in  a  sunny  day. 
Oddly  enough,  it  had  not  once  occurred  to  us  that  the  money 
could  be  wanting.  You  will  readily  appreciate  the  one  broad 
feature  of  the  case,  which  would  have  made  the  blow  heavy 
to  any  sincere  Christian  having  much  of  the  missionary  spirit ; 
but  to  my  husband  there  was  additional  bitterness  in  the 
manner  of  his  disappointment,  and  in  the  hands  from  which 


LAST  YEARS.  515 

it  came,  *I  thought  they  loved  me,'  he  would  say,  mourn- 
fully, 'and  they  would  scarcely  have  known  it  if  I  had  died.' 
'  All  through  our  troubles,  I  was  comforted  with  the  thought 
that  my  brethren  in  Maulmain,  and  in  America,  were  pray- 
ing for  us,  and  they  have  never  once  thought  of  us.'  At 
other  times  he  would  draw  startling  pictures  of  missionaries 
abandoning  the  spirit  of  their  mission,  and  sacrificing  every- 
thing to  some  darling  project ;  and  at  others  he  would  talk 
hopelessly  of  the  impulsive  nature  of  the  home  movements, 
and  then  pray,  in  a  voice  of  agony,  that  these  sins  of  the 
children  of  God  might  not  be  visited  on  the  heathen.  This 
was  an  unnatural  state  of  excitement — for  him  peculiarly  un- 
natural— and  he  was  not  long  in  recovering  from  it.  He 
very  soon  began  to  devise  apologies  for  everybody,  and  said 
we  must  remember  that  so  far  as  we  were  concerned,  or  the 
missionary  cause  itself,  God  had  done  this  thing,  and  done 
it,  as  He  always  does,  for  good.  It  was  not  His  will  that  we 
should  go  to  Ava  then,  and  we  had  no  right  to  complain  of 
the  means  He  made  use  of  to  prevent  it.  He  insisted,  too, 
that  our  obedience  was  not  to  be  yielded  grudgingly  ;  that 
it  must  be  a  cheerful  acquiescence  in  all  that  God  had  done, 
and  a  sincere,  careful  study  of  the  indications  of  His  provi- 
dence afterward,  without  any  suspicion  that  our  ways  were 
hedged  by  anything  harder  or  thornier  than  His  love  and 
mercy.  By  the  time  he  had  an  opportunity  to  send  letters 
to  Maulmain  and  Boston,  his  mind  was  restored  to  its  usual 
serenity.  My  impression,  however,  is,  that  his  first  letter  to 
the  Board  was  written  in  a  slightly  discouraged  tone.  He 
wrote  more  hopefully  to  Maulmain,  but  I  have  sometimes 
thought  that  his  generosity  took  the  point  from  his  letter, 
and  that  his  meaning  was  not  understood  in  saying  that  it 
was/<?r  the  best.  I  think  now  that  they  mistook  resignation 
to  God  for  a  personal  willingness  to  abandon  the  enterprise." 

Two  years  afterward,  only  a  few  months  before  his  death, 
he  received  permission  from  the  Board  to  go  to  Ava.  It 
was  couched  in  the  following  resolutions : 

I.  "That  the  Executive  Committee  accede  to  the  proposition  of  Dr, 
Judson  to  visit  Ava,  for  the  purpose  of  perfecting  his  Burman  dictionary, 


5l6  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOiV. 

2.  "  That  the  sum  of  one  thousand  rupees  be  appropriated  to  defray 
the  expense  of  said  visit. 

3.  "  That  the  Foreign  Secretary  be  requested  to  assure  Dr.  Judson  of 
the  earnest  wish  of  the  Committee,  that  he  should  carefully  avoid  all 
that  may  jeopard  his  life,  or  interfere  with  his  invaluable  labors." 

But  this  permission  came  too  late.  The  opportunity  of 
penetrating  Burmah  proper  had  passed,  and  the  aid  of  an 
excellent  Burmese  scholar,  once  a  priest  at  Ava,  had  been 
secured  at  Maulmain,  and  then  the  toihng  translator  re- 
plied to  the  resolutions  as  follows: 

"  Considering,  therefore,  the  uncertainty  of  life,  and  the 
state  of  my  manuscripts,  so  effaced  by  time,  or  so  erased  and 
interlined  as  to  be  illegible  to  any  other  person  but  myself,  I 
have  thought  it  was  my  duty  to  forego,  for  the  present,  what 
I  can  not  but  regard  as  an  interesting  expedition,  in  order  to 
drive  forward  the  heavy  work  of  the  dictionary  in  the  most 
satisfactory  manner,  and  without  increasing  the  hazard  of 
any  serious  interruption." 

Thus  after  spending  half  a  year  of  toil  and  suffering  at 
Rangoon,  he  was  compelled  to  fall  back  upon  Maulmain. 
He  arrived  there  with  his  family  on  September  5,  1847. 

From  the  time  of  his  return  to  Maulmain  until  his  last 
sickness,  he  worked  steadily  at  the  dictionary.  Again  and 
again  in  his  letters  he  alludes  to  this  colossal  undertaking. 

"  Since  my  return  from  America,  with  the  exception  of  a 
visit  of  a  few  months  at  Rangoon,  I  have  been  occupying  my 
old  stand,  engaged  chiefly  in  preparing  a  Burmese  diction- 
ary, which  is  now  in  the  press  ;  that  is,  the  English  and  Bur- 
mese part.  The  Burmese  and  English  part  will,  I  hope,  be 
ready  for  the  press  in  the  course  of  another  year.  They  will 
make  two  quarto  volumes  of  five  or  six  hundred  pages  each, 
....  I  am  still  hard  at  work  on  the  dictionary,  and  shall  be 
for  above  a  year  to  come,  if  I  live  so  long.  The  work  will 
make  two  volumes  quarto,  containing  above  a  thousand 
pages.  No  one  can  tell  what  toil  it  has  cost  me.  But  I 
trust  it  will  be  a  valuable  and  standard  work  for  a  long  time. 


LAST  YEARS. 


517 


It  sweetens  all  toil  to  be  conscious  that  we  are  laboring  for 
the  King  of  kings,  the  Lord  of  lords.  I  doubt  not  we  find 
it  so,  whether  in  Maulmain  or  in  Philadelphia."  .... 

"  I  have  taken  shelter  in  the  house  lately  occupied  by 
brother  Simons,  though  remote  from  missionary  operations, 
where  I  intend  to  make  an  effort  to  finish  the  dictionary," 

His  wife,  in  one  of  her  letters,  thus  describes  his  inde- 
fatigable industry  : 

"  July  18,  1849. 

.  .  .  .  "  'The  goodman'  works  like  a  galley  slave;  and 
really  it  quite  distresses  me  sometimes,  but  he  seems  to  get 
fat  on  it,  so  I  try  not  to  worry.  He  walks — or  rather  7-titis — 
like  a  boy  over  the  hills,  a  mile  or  two  every  morning  ;  then 
down  to  his  books,  scratch-scratch,  puzzle-puzzle,  and  when 
he  gets  deep  in  the  mire,  out  on  the  veranda  with  your 
humble  servant  by  his  side,  walking  and  talking  (kan-ing  we 
call  it  in  the  Burman)  till  the  point  is  elucidated,  and  then 
down  again — and  so  on  till  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening.  It  is 
this  walking  which  is  keeping  him  out  of  the  grave." 

At  the  same  time  he  took  a  general  oversight  of  the  mis- 
sion work  in  Maulmain,  being,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  a 
guiding  and  inspiring  force.  He  preached  occasionally  in 
the  native  chapel,  "  one  sermon  at  least  every  Lord's  day." 
When  his  beloved  fellow-missionary,  Mr.  Haswell,  was  com- 
pelled to  return  home  for  a  short  visit  on  account  of  his  ill 
health,  the  whole  care  of  the  native  church  devolved  on 
him. 

These  literary  and  pastoral  labors  were,  however,  light- 
ened by  social  and  domestic  pleasures.  Though  he  had 
come  to  the  ripe  age  of  sixty,  he  had  within  him  the  fresh 
heart  of  a  boy.  It  has  been  truly  said  of  him  that  his  spirit 
was  intensely  unconquerably  youthful.  He  loved  to  romp 
with  his  children,  and  early  in  the  morning  to  brush 

"  With  hasty  steps  the  dew  away." 
In  a  life  of  self-sacrifice  he  had  discovered  the  perennial 


ijiS  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DO  XI RAM  JUDSON 

fountain  of  joy.  While  he  followed  the  narrow  path  of 
stern  duty,  the  butterfly  pleasure  which  the  worldling 
chases  from  flower  to  flower,  had  flown  into  his  bosom. 
Byron,  on  his  thirty-ninth  birthday,  breathed  the  sigh : 

"  My  days  are  in  the  yellow  leaf, 

The  flower  and  fruits  of  life  are  gone ; 
The  worm,  the  canker,  and  the  grief 
Are  mine  alone." 

How  different  Judson's  words  uttered  on  his  death-bed : 

"I  suppose  they  think  me  an  old  man,  and  imagine  it  is 
nothing  for  one  like  me  to  resign  a  life  so  full  of  trials.  But 
I  am  not  old — at  least  in  that  sense  ;  you  know  I  am  not. 
Oh,  no  man  ever  left  the  world  with  more  inviting  prospects, 
with  brighter  hopes,  or  warmer  feelings — warmer  feelings." 

We  are  indebted  for  the  following  description  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance  at  this  time  to  Dr.  Wayland's  Memoir: 

"In  person.  Dr.  Judson  was  of  about  the  medium  height,  slenderly 
built,  but  compactly  knitted  together.  His  complexion  was  in  youth 
fair;  but  residence  in  India  had  given  him  the  sallow  hue  common  to 
that  climate.  His  hair,  when  in  this  country,  was  yet  of  a  fine  chestnut, 
with  scarcely  a  trace  of  gray.  The  elasticity  of  his  movement  indicated 
a  man  of  thirty,  rather  than  of  nearly  sixty  years  of  age.  His  deportment 
was,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  quiet  and  self-possessed,  and  his  manner 
was  pointed  out  as  perfectly  well  bred,  by  those  who  consider  the  culti- 
vation of  social  accomplishments  the  serious  business  of  life.  A  reviewer 
writes  on  this  subject  as  follows  : 

"  'A  person  overtaking  Judson  in  one  of  his  early  morning  walks,  as  he 
strode  along  the  pagoda-capped  hills  of  Maulmain,  would  have  thought  the 
pedestrian  before  him  rather  under-sized,  and  of  a  build  showing  no  great 
muscular  development ;  although  the  pace  was  good  and  the  step  firm,  yet 
there  was  nothing  to  indicate  great  powers  of  physical  endurance,  in  the 
somewhat  slight  and  spare  frame  tramping  steadily  in  front  of  the  observer. 
The  latter  would  scarcely  suppose  that  he  had  before  him  the  man  who,  on 
the  25th  of  March,  1826,  wrote,  "Through  the  kind  interposition  of  our 
heavenly  Father,  our  lives  have  been  preserved  in  the  most  imminent 
danger  from  the  hand  of  the  executioner,  and  in  repeated  instances  of  most 
alarming  illness  during  my  protracted  imprisonment  of  one  year  and  seven 
months  ;  nine  months  in  three  pairs  of  fetters,  two   months  in  five,  six 


LAST  YEARS. 


519 


months  in  one,  and  two  months  a  prisoner  at  large."  Illness  nigh  unto 
death,  and  three  or  five  pairs  of  fetters  to  aid  in  weighing  down  the  shat- 
tered and  exhausted  frame,  seemed  a  dispensation  calculated  for  the  endur- 
ance of  a  far  more  muscular  build.  But  meet  the  man,  instead  of  over- 
taking him,  or,  better  still,  see  him  enter  a  room  and  bare  his  head,  and 
the  observer  at  once  caught  an  eye  beaming  with  intelligence,  a  counte- 
nance full  of  life  and  expression.  Attention  could  scarce  fail  of  being  riveted 
on  that  head  and  face,  which  told  at  once  that  the  spiritual  and  intellectual 
formed  the  man  ;  the  physical  was  wholly  subordinate,  and  must  have  been 
born#  through  its  trials  by  the  more  essential  elements  of  the  individual, 
by  the/ifM  sacre  which  predominated  in  his  disposition.  Nor  was  this  im- 
pression weakened  by  his  conversation.  Wisdom  and  piety  were,  as  might 
be  expected  in  such  a  man,  its  general  tone  ;  but  there  was  a  vivacity  per- 
vading it  which  indicated  strong,  buoyant,  though  well,  it  may  be  said  very 
severely,  disciplined  animal  spirits.  Wit,  too,  was  there,  playful,  pure, 
free  from  malice,  and  a  certain  quiet  Cervantic  humor,  full  of  benignity, 
would  often  enliven  and  illustrate  what  he  had  to  say  on  purely  temporal 
affairs.  His  conversation  was  thus  both  very  able  and  remarkably  pleas- 
ing,' " 

His  reputation  had  extended  through  the  whole  of  India, 
and  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  even  by  eminent 
Buddhists,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  following  letter  addressed 
to  him  by  his  Royal  Highness,  the  Crown  Prince  of  Siam, 
who  subsequently  became  king  : 

"August,  1849. 

.  ..."  I  put  together  with  my  box,  comprising  a  few  artificial  flowers, 
two  passion  flower,  one  mogneyet,  or  surnamed  flower,  and  three  roses, 
manufactured  by  most  celebrated  princess  the  daughter  of  late  second 
king,  or  sub-king,  who  was  my  royal  uncle,  for  your  memorial,  but  are, 
indeed,  that  I  don't  know  what  would  be  in  your  necessity  from  me,  beg 
to  let  me  know  without  hesitation,  I  shall  endeavor  for  your  desire  how 
my  power  would  allow. 

"  If  you  desire  to  visit  Siam  some  time,  don'J;  come  by  land,  as  the 
strangers  are  prohibited  to  come  by  northern  way  from  command  of  his 
majesty,  and  you  would  be  tributed  for  coming  by  way  of  three  pagodas, 
though  traveling  of  strangers  by  it  was  allowed  by  political  authority. 
It  would  be  best  if  you  embark  on  board  the  steamer  for  Singapore,  and 
lodge  little  while  at  residence  of  my  beloved  friend  Tan  Tock  Sing,  whom 
I  can  request  to  comfort  or  make  attention  to  you  respectfully,  and  take 
passage  by  Siamese  vessels  that  visit  the  Singapore  almost  every  month 
to  our  country,  and  on  your  ascending  and  descending  to  and  fro  between 
this  post  and  Singapore  you  need  not  e.vpend  any  of  your  own,  as  I  can 
pay  or  request  the  owners  of  ships  for  you  if  you  let  me  be  aware. 


520  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"Whenever  do  you  please  to  send  me  packet  or  letters,  or  to  certain 
of  your  friend  herein,  you  shall  send  by  sea  to  Singapore  with  the  direc- 
tion thus : 

"  To  His  Royal  Highness,  T.  Y.  Chau/a  Mongkut,  of  Bangkok,  Siam.  Kind 
care  of  Tan  Tock  Sing,  of  Singapore. 

"  If  you  have  opportunity  to  send  by  land,  you  shall  send  by  hand  of 
Rahany  messengers,  or  credible  traveling  trademen  of  the  same,  for  care 
of  my  friend  the  Rahany  chief  governor,  with  Siamese  characters  in 
direction  as  follows  [here  is  inserted  the  direction  in  Siamese],  because 
there  is  none  interpreter  of  English.  I  am  not  pleasing  the  Peguen,  or 
Pegunese,  or  Mons  messenger,  who  were  dignified  and  appointed  to  visit 
Maulmein  once  for  a  year  from  our  court,  as  they  generally  are  proud  in 
vain  and  ignorant  of  foreign  custom,  and  wondering  or  surprising  them- 
selves that  they  are  embassadors  from  the  king  improper  to  carry  letters 
from  others.  I  think  if  you  commit  your  letter  or  pack  to  them,  lest  they 
might  say  or  do  any  laughable. 

"  All  white  race  at  Bangkok,  both  clergymen  and  merchant,  are  well 
during  time  of  cholera,  as  the  missionaries  were  generally  prevented 
themselves  from  filling  of  disease  by  using  of  drinking  the  dissolved  mixt- 
ure of  calomel  and  opium  with  some  spirit  and  oil  put  in  water,  and 
others  by  generally  use  of  brandy. 

"  On  the  ninth  day  of  the  current  month,  eight  of  Roman  Catholic 
French  priests  disputed  away  from  Siamese  kingdom,  on  account  of  dis- 
agreement with  the  king,  for  ordinance  the  annual  taxes,  which  were  or- 
dained upon  all  inhabitants  of  district  of  Bangkok.  You  will  hear  ex- 
actly from  letters,  perhaps,  of  your  friends.  I  have  no  time  to  write  you 
more. 

•'  I  wrote  you  so  long  to  fulfill  your  desire  to  hear  from  again  as  you 
had  requested,  in  your  addressed,  as  I  am  seeming  to  be,  your  curious 
but  little  as  I  was  just  studied  of  some  way  of  English  4  years  ago,  com- 
mencing June,  1845,  during  one  less  of  which  I  learned  from  mouth  ot 
my  teacher,  and  on  rest  but  by  reading  only. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be  your  friend, 

"T.  Y.  Chaufa  Mongkut." 

To  his  fellow-missionaries  his  wide  experience  and  affec- 
tionate disposition  made  him  an  invaluable  adviser  and 
friend.  When  they  found  themselves  in  trouble  and  sor- 
row  they  were  sure  to  receive  from  his  lips  words  of  com- 
fort  and  counsel.  To  Mrs.  Moore,  of  Maulmain,  who  had 
lost  her  child,  he  wrote  : 


LAST  YEARS.  521 

"  Dear  Sister  :  I  do  sympathize  with  you  while  suffering 
under  the  loss  of  your  little  babe.  It  is  true  that  it  breathed 
the  breath  of  life  a  day  or  two  only ;  but  your  heart — a 
tnother's  heart — feels  anguish  never  before  conceived  of  ;  and 
as  the  coffin-lid  shuts  out  the  sweet  face  from  your  longing 
gaze,  and  bars  all  further  maternal  care,  the  tears  you  shed 
will  be,  O,  so  bitter  ! 

"You  need  not  my  suggestion  that  God  has  done  this 
thing  in  infinite  wisdom  and  love.  While,  therefore,  you 
mourn,  be  thankful.  A  part  of  yourself  has  gone  before  you 
to  heaven.  Yours  is  the  early  privilege  of  furnishing  a  little 
seraph  tc  occupy  its  place  in  Paradise.  There  it  will  wait  to 
ivelcome  its  mother's  arrival.  The  prayers  you  have  fre- 
quently offered  for  the  little  creature  will  yet  all  be  answered  ; 
the  warm  affections  now  apparently  crushed  in  the  bud  will 
expand  and  bloom  in  heavenly  glory  ;  and  every  succeeding 
age  of  eternity  will  heighten  your  song  of  praise  to  God  for 
making  you  the  mother  of  a  little  immortal,  and  then,  for 
some  special  purpose,  bearing  it  away  thus  early  to  the  grave, 
and  to  heaven. 

"Your  sympathizing  friend  and  brother, 

"A.    JUDSON." 

And  to  his  afflicted  fellow-laborer,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Osgood, 
he  sends  these  words  of  comfort : 

"  So  the  light  in  your  dwelling  has  gone  out,  my  poor 
brother,  and  it  is  all  darkness  there,  only  as  you  draw  down 
by  faith  some  faint  gleams  of  the  light  of  heaven  ;  and 
coldness  has  gathered  round  your  hearth-stone  ;  your  house 
is  probably  desolate,  your  children  scattered,  and  you  a 
homeless  wanderer  over  the  face  of  the  land.  We  have  both 
tasted  of  these  bitter  cups  once  and  again  ;  we  have  found 
them  bitter,  and  we  have  found  them  sweet  too.  Every  cup 
stirred  by  the  finger  of  God  becomes  sweet  to  the  humble 
believer.  Do  you  remember  how  our  late  wives,  and  sister 
Stevens,  and  perhaps  some  others,  used  to  cluster  around 
the  well-curb  in  the  mission  compound  at  the  close  of  day  ? 
I  can  almost  see  them  sitting  there,  with  their  smiling  faces, 


522  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

as  I  look  out  of  the  window  at  which  I  am  now  writing. 
Where  are  ours  now  ?  Clustering  around  the  well-curb  ot 
the  fountain  of  living  water,  to  which  the  Lamb  of  heaven 
shows  them  the  way — reposing  in  the  arms  of  infinite  love, 
who  wipes  away  all  their  tears  with  His  own  hand. 

"  Let  us  travel  on  and  look  up.  We  shall  soon  be  there. 
As  sure  as  I  write  or  you  read  these  lines,  we  shall  soon  be 
there.  Many  a  weary  step  we  may  yet  have  to  take,  but  we 
shall  surely  get  there  at  last.  And  the  longer  and  more 
tedious  the  way,  the  sweeter  will  be  our  repose." 

The  great  pressure  of  his  public  cares  and  other  labors 
did  not  make  him  moody  or  absent-minded  at  home.  His 
love  for  his  children  was  deep  and  tender.  To  his  daughter 
Abby,  who  was  living  at  Bradford  in  the  old  homestead  of 
the  Hasseltine  family,  he  wrote  as  follows  : 

....  "We  are  a  deliciously  happy  family  ;  but  we  think 
much  of  the  three  dear  absent  ones,  and  my  tears  frequently 
fall  for  your  dear,  dear  mother  in  her  lone  bed  at  St.  Helena. 
And  any  time  I  enter  the  burial-place  here,  I  see  the  white 
gravestone  of  poor  little  black-eyed  Charlie.  Ah,  we  had  to 
leave  the  poor  little  fellow  to  die  in  the  arms  of  Mrs.  Osgood. 
It  was  hard,  but  we  could  not  help  it.  God's  will  be  done. 
He  is  now  happy  with  his  mother.  If  you  should  die,  would 
you  go  to  them  too  ?  O  that  I  could  hear  of  your  and  your 
brothers'  conversion  ! 

"You  can  never  know  how  much  I  want  to  see  you,  how 
much  I  think  of  you,  how  much  I  pray  for  you,  always  when 
I  pray  for  myself.  O  my  dear  daughter,  my  motherless 
daughter,  meet  me  at  the  throne  of  grace  ;  meet  me  in  the 
bosom  of  Jesus,  and  we  shall  live  in  His  blessed  presence  on 
high,  together  with  your  dear  mother,  lost  to  us  for  a  time, 
but  not  forever  ;  whose  spirit  ever  watches  over  you,  and  will 
rejoice  with  joy  yet  unfelt,  when  you  turn  to  the  Saviour 
and  give  your  heart  to  Him. 

"Your  longing,  hoping  father,  A.  Judson." 

Nor  does  he  forget  his  boys  who  are  pursuing  their 
studies  in  Worcester : 


LAST  YEARS. 


523 


"  Is  it  possible  that  I  have  letters  from  you  at  last  ?  I  had 
waited  so  long  that  I  began  to  think  it  would  never  be.  And 
I  am  so  glad  to  hear  of  your  welfare,  and  especially  that  you 
have  both  been  under  religious  impressions,  and  that  Elna- 
than  begins  to  entertain  a  hope  in  Christ !  O,  this  is  the 
most  blessed  news.  Go  on,  my  dear  boys,  and  not  rest  until 
you  have  made  your  calling  and  election  sure.  I  believe 
that  you  both  and  Abby  Ann  will  become  true  Christians, 
and  meet  me  in  heaven  ;  for  I  never  pray  without  praying 
for  your  conversion,  and  I  think  I  pray  in  faith.  Go  to 
school,  attend  to  your  studies,  be  good  scholars,  try  to  get  a 
good  education  ;  but,  O,  heaven  is  all.  Life,  life,  eternal 
life  !  Without  this,  without  an  interest  in  the  Lord  of  life, 
you  are  lost,  lost  forever.  Dear  Adoniram,  give  your  heart 
at  once  to  the  Saviour.  Don't  go  to  sleep  without  doing  it. 
Try,  try  for  your  life.  Don't  mind  what  anybody  may  say 
to  the  contrary,  nor  how  much  foolish  boys  may  laugh  at 
you.  Love  the  dear  Saviour,  who  has  loved  you  unto  death. 
Dear  sons,  so  soon  as  you  have  a  good  hope  in  Christ  that 
your  sins  are  pardoned,  and  that  Christ  loves  you,  urge  your 
pastor  and  the  church  to  baptize  and  receive  you  into  com- 
munion. They  will  hold  back,  thinking  you  are  too  young, 
and  must  give  more  evidence.  But  don't  be  discouraged. 
Push  on.     Determine  to  do  it.     Determine  to  stand  by  Christ, 

come  what  will.      That   is  the  way  to  get  to   heaven 

Will  Elnathan  tell  me  what  little  book  it  was  that  was  so  much 
blessed  to  him  ?  I  have  forgotten  what  I  sent  him.  I  have  sent 
you  copies  of  your  mother's  Memoir.  You  will  be  delighted 
to  read  it,  so  beautifully  and  so  truthfully  is  it  written. 
Ever  love  to  cherish  the  memory  of  your  own  dear  mother- 
how  much  she  loved  you  to  the  last  gasp — and  prepare  to 
follow  her  to  heaven. 

"  Your  fond  father,  A.  Judson." 

And  the  two  little  boys  who  formed  a  part  of  the  family 
group  at  Maulmain,  often  found  in  their  father  an  ardent 
companion  in  their  play.  One  of  them  well  remembers 
how  his  father  used  to  come  into  his  room  in  the  morning 


524  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

and  greet  him  upon  his  first  awakening  with  a  delicious 
piece  of  Burmese  cake,  or  with  the  joyful  tidings  that  a 
rat  had  been  caught  in  a  trap  the  night  before  !  He  wrote 
to  Mr.  Stevens  in  Rangoon  : 

"  I  have  to  hold  a  meeting  with  the  rising  generation  every 
evening,  and  that  takes  time.  Henry  can  say,  '  Twinkle, 
twinkle,'  all  himself,  and  Edward  can  repeat  it  after  his 
father  !     Giants  of  genius  !  paragons  of  erudition  !  " 

On  December  24,  1847,  Emily  Frances  Judson*  was  born 
at  Maulmain.  The  happy  mother  addressed  to  her  infant 
the  following  exquisite  lines,  which  have  been  since  treas- 
ured in  so  many  hearts  in  many  lands  : 

My  Bird. 

"  Ere  last  year's  moon  had  left  the  sky, 
A  birdling  sought  my  Indian  nest. 
And  folded,  O,  so  lovingly  ! 
Her  tiny  wings  upon  my  breast. 

"  From  morn  till  evening's  purple  tinge 
In  winsome  helplessness  she  lies  ; 
Two  rose  leaves,  with  a  silken  fringe. 
Shut  softly  on  her  starry  eyes. 

"  There's  not  in  Ind  a  lovelier  bird  ; 

Broad  earth  owns  not  a  happier  nest ; 
O  God,  Thou  hast  a  fountain  stirred, 
Whose  waters  never  more  shall  rest ! 

"  This  beautiful,  mysterious  thing. 

This  seeming  visitant  from  heaven — 
This  bird  with  the  immortal  wing, 
To  me — to  me.  Thy  hand  hath  given. 

"  The  pulse  first  caught  its  tiny  stroke. 

The  blood  its  crimson  hue,  from  mine;— 
This  life,  which  I  have  dared  invoke. 
Henceforth  is  parallel  with  thine. 


«  Now  the  wafe  of  the  Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna,  of  Plantsville,  Conn. 


LAST  YEARS.  525 

"  A  silent  awe  is  in  my  room  ; 
I  tremble  with  delicious  fear ; 
The  future  with  its  light  and  gloom, — 
Time  and  Eternity  are  here. 

"  Doubts — hopes,  in  eager  tumult  rise  ; 
Hear,  O  my  God  !  one  earnest  prayer : 
Room  for  my  bird  in  Paradise, 

And  give  her  angel-plumage  there  !  " 

But  dark  shadows  began  to  gather  around  the  path  of 
the  missionary.  Soon  after  the  birth  of  Emily,  Mrs.  Jud- 
son's  health  began  to  decline.  Mr.  Judson  thus  wrote  to 
her  friend,  Miss  Anable  : 

"A  crushing  weight  is  upon  me.  I  can  not  resist  the 
dreadful  conviction  that  dear  Emily  is  in  a  settled  and 
rapid  decline.  For  nearly  a  year  after  the  birth  of  baby, 
she  enjoyed  pretty  good  health,  and  I  flattered  myself  that 
she  would  be  spared  for  many  years.  But  three  or  four 
months  ago  her  appetite  almost  entirely  failed  her.  Soon 
after,  baby  was  taken  very  ill,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  our 
usual  help  left  us,  and  she  was  obliged  to  undergo  a  great  deal 
of  severe  fatigue  ;  and  I  see  now  that  she  has  been  declining 
ever  since.  She  soon  be'came  unable  to  take  our  usual  walks, 
and  I  procured  a  pony  for  her,  and  she  tried  riding,  but  with- 
out any  good  effect.  I  next  sent  her  to  Tavoy  in  a  steamer, 
on  a  visit  to  the  missionaries  there.  She  was  gone  ten  days, 
and  returned  thinner  in  flesh  and  weaker  than  ever.  I  now 
take  her  out  every  morning  in  a  chaise,  and  this  is  all  the 
exercise  she  can  bear.  She  is  under  the  care  of  a  very  skil- 
ful doctor,  who  appears  to  be  making  every  possible  effort 
to  save  her  ;  but  the  symptoms  are  such  that  I  have  scarcely 
any  hope  left.  She  is  thinner  than  she  has  ever  been  ; 
strength  almost  gone  ;  no  appetite  ;  various  pains  in  the 
region  of  the  lungs  ;  a  dry  cough,  which  has  hung  on  per- 
tinaciously for  two  or  three  months.  She  was  preparing 
some  *  Notes,'  to  append  to  the  Memoir,  but  has  been  obliged 
to  leave  them  unfinished,  being  unable  to  write,  or  even  read 
without  aggravating  her  pains.     I  look  around  in  despair. 


526  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

If  a  change  to  any  place  promised  the  least  relief,  I  would 
go  anywhere.  But  we  are  here  in  the  healthiest  part  of 
India,  and  in  the  dry,  warm  season  ;  and  she  suffers  so  much 
at  sea  that  a  voyage  would  hardly  be  recommended  for  it- 
self. My  only  hope  is,  that  the  doctor  declares  that  her 
lungs  are  not  seriously  affected,  and  that  as  soon  as  her  sys- 
tem is  fairly  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  course  ot 
medicine  he  is  pursuing — digitalis  being  a  principal  ingre- 
dient— there  will  be  a  favorable  result.  I  shall  dissuade  her 
from  writing  by  this  month's  mail,  though  she  has  men- 
tioned that  she  wants  to  write  to  you  and  her  family.  Nor 
does  she  know  that  I  am  writing  to  you.  Her  family  I  don't 
want  to  distress  at  present.  She  may  get  better.  But  I  suf- 
fer so  much  myself,  that  I  felt  it  would  be  some  relief  to  sit 

down   and    tell  you    all   about   it When   she  was   at 

Tavoy,  she  made  up  her  mind  that  she  must  die  soon,  and 
that  is  now  her  prevailing  expectation  ;  but  she  contemplates 
the  event  with  composure  and  resignation.  Within  a  few 
months  she  has  grown  much  in  devotional  feelings,  and  in 
longing  desires  to  be  wholly  conformed  to  the  will  of  Christ. 
She  had  formerly  some  doubts  about  the  genuineness  of  her 
early  conversion,  but  they  have  all  left  her  ;  and  though  she 
feels  that  in  her  circumstances  prolonged  life  is  exceedingly 
desirable,  she  is  quite  willing  to  leave  all  at  the  Saviour's 
call.     Praise  be  to  God  for  His  love  to  her." 

Little  did  he  imagine  while  he  cherished  these  doleful 
forebodings,  that,  in  the  journey  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  he  was  to  precede  his  wife  by  several 
years.  In  November,  1849,  only  a  few  months  after  he 
wrote  the  above  lines,  he  was  attacked  by  the  disease, 
which,  after  a  period  of  a  little  over  four  months,  culminated 
in  his  death.  One  night,  while  sharing  with  Mrs.  Judson 
the  care  of  one  of  the  children  who  had  been  taken  suddenly 
ill,  he  caught  a  severe  cold.  This  settled  on  his  lungs  and 
produced  a  terrible  cough  with  some  fever.  After  three  or 
four  days,  he  was  attacked  with  dysentery,  and  before  this 
was  subdued  a  congestive  fever  set  in,  from  which  he  never 


LAST  YEARS. 


527 


recovered.  A  trip  down  the  coast  of  Mergui  afforded  only 
partial  relief.  He  tried  the  sea  air  of  Amherst,  but  only 
sank  the  more  rapidly,  and  then  hastened  back  to  Maul- 
main.  The  following  is  his  last  communication  to  the 
Board  : 

To  the  Corresponding  Secretary. 

"  Maulmain,  February  21,  185a. 

"  My  dear  Brother  :  I  can  not  manage  a  pen  ;  so  please 
to  excuse  pencil.  I  have  been  prostrated  with  fever  ever 
since  the  latter  part  of  last  November,  and  have  suffered  so 
much  that  I  have  frequently  remarked  that  I  was  never  ill  in 
India  before.  Through  the  mercy  of  God,  I  think  I  am  con- 
valescent for  the  last  ten  days  ;  but  the  doctor  and  all  my 
friends  are  very  urgent  that  I  should  take  a  sea  voyage  of  a 
month  or  two,  and  be  absent  from  this  a  long  time.  May 
God  direct  in  the  path  of  duty.  My  hand  is  failing  ;  so  I 
will  beg  to  remain  Yours  affectionately, 

"A.    JUDSON." 

His  only  hope  now  lay  in  a  long  sea  voyage.  He  was 
never  so  happy  as  when  upon  the  deep.  The  ocean  breezes 
had  never  failed  to  invigorate  him.  But  it  was  a  sore  trial 
to  part  with  his  wife  and  children  when  there  was  but  little 
prospect  of  ever  seeing  them  again.  There  was,  however, 
no  alternative.  A  French  hd^rqwQ,  thQ  Aristide  Marie,  \v2iS 
to  sail  from  Maulmain  on  the  3d  of  April.  The  dying  mis- 
sionary was  carried  on  board  by  his  weeping  disciples,  ac- 
companied only  by  Mr.  Ranney,  of  the  Maulmain  mission. 
There  were  unfortunate  delays  in  going  down  the  river ;  so 
that  several  days  were  lost.  Meantime  that  precious  life 
was  ebbing  rapidly  away.  It  was  not  until  Monday,  the 
8th,  that  the  vessel  got  out  to  sea.  Then  came  head  winds 
and  sultry  weather,  and  after  four  days  and  nights  of  intense 
agony,  Mr.  Judson  breathed  his  last  on  the  12th  of  April, 
and  on  the  same  day  his  body  was  buried  in  the  sea.  He 
died  within  a  week  from  the  time  that  he  parted  with  his 
wife,  and  almost  four  months  of  terrible  suspense  elapsed 


528  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

before  she  learned  of  his  death.  The  tidings  were  sent  to 
her  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mackay,  a  Scotch  Presbyterian  minister 
of  Calcutta.  Who  can  fathom  her  experience  of  suffering 
during  those  weary  months  of  waiting !  On  the  22d  of 
April,  within  three  weeks  of  the  time  when  she  said  farewell 
to  her  husband,  exactly  ten  days  after  his  body  without 
her  knowledge  had  found  its  resting-place  in  the  sea,  she 
gave  birth  to  her  second  child,  whom  she  named  Charles,  for 
her  father.  But  the  same  day  his  little  spirit,  as  though 
unwilling  to  linger  amid  such  scenes  of  desolation,  took  its 
upward  flight  to  be  forever  united  with  the  parent  who  had 
entered  the  gates  of  Paradise  only  a  little  in  advance.  The 
same  lyre  that  had  echoed  such  glad  music  upon  the  birth 
of  Emily,  breathed  the  following  soft,  pensive  strains  of 
sorrow : 

Angel  Charlie. 

"  He  came — a  beauteous  vision — 

Then  vanished  from  my  sight, 
His  wing  one  moment  cleaving 

The  blackness  of  my  night  ; 
My  glad  ear  caught  its  rustle, 

Then  sweeping  by,  he  stole 
The  dew-drop  that  his  coming 

Had  cherished  in  my  soul. 

"  Oh,  he  had  been  my  solace 

When  grief  my  spirit  swayed. 
And  on  his  fragile  being 

Had  tender  hopes  been  stayed  ; 
Where  thought,  where  feeling  lingered 

His  form  was  sure  to  glide, 
And  in  the  lone  night-watches 

'Twas  ever  by  my  side, 

"  He  came  ;  but  as  the  blossom 

Its  petals  closes  up, 
And  hides  them  from  the  tempest. 

Within  its  sheltering  cup. 
So  he  his  spirit  gathered 

Back  to  his  frightened  breast. 


LAST  YEARS. 

And  passed  from  earth's  grim  threshold. 
To  be  the  Saviour's  guest. 

*'  My  boy — ah,  me  !  the  sweetness. 

The  anguish  of  that  word  ! — 
My  boy,  when  in  strange  night-dreams 

My  slumbering  soul  is  stirred  ; 
When  music  floats  around  me. 

When  soft  hps  touch  my  brow. 
And  whisper  gentle  greetings, 

Oh,  tell  me,  is  it  thou  ? 

"  I  know,  by  one  sweet  token, 

My  Charlie  is  not  dead  ; 
One  golden  clue  he  left  me, 

As  on  his  track  he  sped  ; 
Were  he  some  gem  or  blossom 

But  fashioned  for  to-day, 
My  love  wduld  slowly  perish 

With  his  dissolving  clay. 

"  Oh,  by  this  deathless  yearning. 

Which  is  not  idly  given  ; 
By  the  delicious  nearness 

M)  spirit  feels  to  heaven  ; 
By  dreams  that  throng  my  night  sleep, 

By  visions  of  the  day, 
By  whispers  when  I'm  erring. 

By  promptings  when  I  pray  ; — 

"  I  know  this  life  so  cherished. 

Which  sprang  beneath  my  heart. 
Which  formed  of  my  own  being 

So  beautiful  a  part  ; 
This  precious,  winsome  creature. 

My  unfledged,  voiceless  dove, 
Lifts  now  a  seraph's  pinion 

And  warbles  lays  of  love. 

"  Oh,  I  would  not  recall  thee. 
My  glorious  angel  boy  ! 
Thou  needest  not  my  bosom, 
Rare  bird  of  light  and  joy  ; 


529 


530  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOy. 

Here  dash  I  down  the  tear-drops, 

Still  gathering  in  my  eyes  ; 
Blest — oh  !  how  blest  ! — in  adding 

A  seraph  to  the  skies  !  " 

The  following  account  of  the  closing  scenes  in  Dr.  Jud- 
son's  life  was  communicated  to  his  sister  by  Mrs.  Judson  : 

"Maulmain,  September  ^q,  1850. 

"  My  dear  Sister  :  Last  month  I  could  do  no  more  than 
announce  to  you  our  painful  bereavement,  which,  though  not 
altogether  unexpected,  will,  I  very  well  know,  fall  upon  your 
heart  with  overwhelming  weight.  You  will  find  the  account 
of  your  brother's  last  days  on  board  the  Aftstide  Marie,  in  a 
letter  written  by  Mr.  Ranney,  from  Mauritius,  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Board  ;  and  I  can  add  nothing  to  it,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  unimportant  particulars,  gleaned  in  conver- 
sations with  Mr.  Ranney  and  the  Coringa  servant.  I  grieve 
that  it  should  be  so — that  I  was  not  permitted  to  watch  beside 
him  during  those  days  of  terrible  suffering  ;  but  the  pain 
which  I  at  first  felt  is  gradually  yielding  to  gratitude  for  the 
inestimable  privileges  which  had  previously  been  granted 
me. 

"  There  was  something  exceedingly  beautiful  in  the  decline 
of  your  brother's  life — more  beautiful  than  I  can  describe, 
though  the  impression  will  remain  with  me  as  a  sacred  legacy 
until  I  go  to  meet  him  where  suns  shall  never  set,  and  life 
shall  never  end.  He  had  been,  from  my  first  acquaintance 
with  him,  an  uncommonly  spiritual  Christian,  exhibiting  his 
richest  graces  in  the  unguarded  intercourse  of  private  life  • 
but  during  his  last  year,  it  seemed  as  though  the  light  of  the 
world  on  which  he  was  entering  had  been  sent  to  brighten 
his  upward  pathway.  Every  subject  on  which  we  conversed, 
every  book  we  read,  every  incident  that  occurred,  whether 
trivial  or  important,  had  a  tendency  to  suggest  some  pecul- 
iarly spiritual  train  of  thought,  till  it  seemed  to  me  that, 
more  than  ever  before,  '  Christ  was  all  his  theme.'  Some- 
thing of  the  same  nature  was  also  noted  in  his  preaching,  to 
which  I  then  had  not  the  privilege  of  listening.     He  was  in 


LAST  YEARS.  53: 

the  habit,  however,  of  studying  his  subject  for  the  Sabbath, 
audibly,  and  in  my  presence,  at  which  time  he  was  frequently 
so  much  affected  as  to  weep,  and  sometimes  so  overwhelmed 
with  the  vastness  of  his  conceptions  as  to  be  obliged  to 
abandon  his  theme  and  choose  another.  My  own  illness  at 
the  commencement  of  the  year  had  brought  eternity  very 
near  to  us,  and  rendered  death,  the  grave,  and  the  bright 
heaven  beyond  it,  familiar  subjects  of  conversation.  Gladly 
would  I  give  you,  my  dear  sister,  some  idea  of  the  share 
borne  by  him  in  those  memorable  conversations ;  but  it 
would  be  impossible  to  convey,  even  to  those  who  knew  him 
best,  the  most  distant  conception  of  them.  I  believe  he  has 
sometimes  been  thought  eloquent,  both  in  conversation  and 
in  the  sacred  desk  ;  but  the  fervid,  burning  eloquence,  the 
deep  pathos,  the  touching  tenderness,  the  elevation  of  thought, 
and  intense  beauty  of  expression,  which  characterized  those 
private  teachings,  were  not  only  beyond  what  I  had  ever 
heard  before,  but  such  as  I  felt  sure  arrested  his  own  atten- 
tion, and  surprised  even  himself.  About  this  time  he  began 
to  find  unusual  satisfaction  and  enjoyment  in  his  private  de- 
votions, and  seemed  to  have  new  objects  of  interest  continu- 
ally rising  in  his  mind,  each  of  which  in  turn  became  special 
subjects  of  prayer.  Among  these,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
was  the  conversion  of  his  posterity.  He  remarked  that  he 
had  always  prayed  for  his  children,  but  that  of  late  he  had 
felt  impressed  with  the  duty  of  praying  for  their  children 
and  their  children's  children  down  to  the  latest  generation. 
He  also  prayed  most  fervently  that  his  impressions  on  this 
particular  subject  might  be  transferred  to  his  sons  and 
daughters,  and  thence  to  their  offspring,  so  that  he  should 
ultimately  meet  a  long,  unbroken  line  of  descendants  before 
the  throne  of  God,  where  all  might  join  together  in  ascribing 
everlasting  praises  to  their  Redeemer. 

"Another  subject,  which  occupied  a  large  share  of  his 
attention,  was  that  of  brotherly  love.  You  are,  perhaps, 
aware  that,  like  all  persons  of  his  ardent  temperament,  he 
was  subject  to  strong  attachments  and  aversions,  which  he 
sometimes  had   difficulty  in  bringing  under  the   controlling 


532  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSOiV. 

influence  of  divine  grace.  He  remarked  that  he  had  always 
felt  more  or  less  of  an  affectionate  interest  in  his  brethren,  as 
brethren,  and  some  of  them  he  had  loved  very  dearly  for 
their  personal  qualities  ;  but  he  was  now  aware  that  he  had 
never  placed  his  standard  of  love  high  enough.  He  spoke 
of  them  as  children  of  God,  redeemed  by  the  Saviour's  blood, 
watched  over  and  guarded  by  His  love,  dear  to  His  heart, 
honored  by  Him  in  the  election,  and  to  be  honored  hereafter 
before  the  assembled  universe  ;  and  he  said  it  was  not 
sufficient  to  be  kind  and  obliging  to  such,  to  abstain  fion. 
evil  speaking,  and  make  a  general  mention  of  them  in  oui- 
prayers  ;  but  our  attachment  to  them  should  be  of  the  most 
ardent  and  exalted  character  ;  it  would  be  so  in  heaven,  and 
we  lost  immeasurably  by  not  beginning  now.  'As  I  have 
loved  you,  so  ought  ye  also  to  love  one  another,'  was  a  pre- 
cept continually  in  his  mind  ,  and  he  would  often  murmur, 
as  though  unconsciously, '  "  As  I  have  loved  you," — "  as  I  have 
loved  you,'" — then  burst  out  with  the  exclamation,  *  O,  the 
love  of  Christ !    the  love  of  Christ ! ' 

"  His  prayers  for  the  mission  were  marked  by  an  earnest, 
grateful  enthusiasm,  and  in  speaking  of  missionary  operations 
in  general,  his  tone  was  one  of  elevated  triumph,  almost  of 
exultation  ;  for  he  not  only  felt  an  unshaken  confidence  in 
their  final  success,  but  would  often  exclaim,  'What  wonders 
— O,  what  wonders  God  has  already  wrought ! ' 

"I  remarked  that  during  this  year  his  literary  labor,  which 
he  had  never  liked,  and  upon  which  he  had  entered  un- 
willingly and  from  a  feeling  of  necessity,  was  growing  daily 
more  irksome  to  him  ;  and  he  always  spoke  of  it  as  his 
'heavy  work,'  his  'tedious  work,'  'that  wearisome  diction- 
ary,' etc.,  though  this  feeling  led  to  no  relaxation  of  effort. 
He  longed,  however,  to  find  some  more  spiritual  employment, 
to  be  engaged  in  what  he  considered  more  legitimate  mis- 
sionary labor,  and  drew  delightful  pictures  of  the  future, 
when  his  whole  business  would  be  but  to  preach  and  to  pray. 

"  During  all  this  time  I  had  not  observed  any  failure  in 
physical  strength  ;  and  though  his  mental  exercises  occupied 
a  large  share  of  my  thoughts  when  alone,  it  never  once  oc- 


LAST  YEARS. 


533 


curred  to  me  that  this  might  be  the  brightening  of  the  set- 
ting sun  ;  my  only  feeling  was  that  of  pleasure,  that  one  so 
near  to  me  was  becoming  so  pure  and  elevated  in  his  senti- 
ments, and  so  lovely  and  Christ-like  in  his  character.  In 
person  he  had  grown  somewhat  stouter  than  when  in  Amer- 
ica ;  his  complexion  had  a  healthful  hue,  compared  with 
that  of  his  associates  generally  ;  and  though  by  no  means  a 
person  of  uniformly  firm  health,  he  seemed  to  possess  such 
vigor  and  strength  of  constitution,  that  I  thought  his  life  as 
likely  to  be  extended  twenty  years  longer,  as  that  of  any 
member  of  the  mission.  He  continued  his  system  of  morn- 
ing exercise,  commenced  when  a  student  at  Andover,  and 
was  not  satisfied  with  a  common  walk  on  level  ground,  but 
always  chose  an  up-hill  path,  and  then  frequently  went 
bounding  on  his  way  with  all  the  exuberant  activity  of  boy- 
hood. 

"He  was  of  a  singularly  happy  temperament,  although 
not  of  that  even  cast  which  never  rises  above  a  certain  level, 
and  is  never  depressed.  Possessing  acute  sensibilities, 
suffering  with  those  who  suffered,  and  entering  as  readily 
into  the  joys  of  the  prosperous  and  happy,  he  was  variable 
in  his  moods  ;  but  religion  formed  such  an  essential  element 
in  his  character,  and  his  trust  in  Providence  was  so  implicit 
and  habitual,  that  he  was  never  gloomy,  and  seldom  more 
than  momentarily  disheartened.  On  the  other  hand,  being 
accustomed  to  regard  all  the  events  of  this  life,  however 
minute  or  painful,  as  ordered  in  wisdom,  and  tending  to  one 
great  and  glorious  end,  he  lived  in  almost  constant  obedience 
to  the  apostolic  injunction,  'Rejoice  evermore  ! '  He  often 
told  me  that  although  he  had  endured  much  personal  suffer- 
ing, and  passed  through  many  fearful  trials  in  the  course  of 
his  eventful  life,  a  kind  Providence  had  also  hedged  him 
round  with  precious,  peculiar  blessings,  so  that  his  joys  had 
far  outnumbered  his  sorrows. 

"Toward  the  close  of  September  of  last  year,  he  said  to 
me  one  evening,  'What  deep  cause  have  we  for  gratitude  to 
God  !  Do  you  believe  there  are  any  other  two  persons  in  the 
wide  world  so  happy  as  we  are?'  enumerating,  in  his  own 


534  7-//^  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

earnest  manner,  several  sources  of  happiness,  in  which  our 
work  as  missionaries,  and  our  eternal  prospects,  occupied  a 
prominent  position.  When  he  had  finished  his  glowing 
picture,  I  remarked — I  scarcely  know  why,  but  there  was  a 
heavy  cloud  upon  my  spirits  that  evening — *  We  are  certainly 
very  happy  now,  but  it  can  not  be  so  always.  I  am  thinking 
of  the  time  when  one  of  us  must  stand  beside  the  bed,  and 
see  the  other  die.' 

"  '  Yes,'  he  said,  '  that  will  be  a  sad  moment ;  I  felt  it  most 
deeply  a  little  while  ago,  but  now  it  would  not  be  strange  if 
your  life  were  prolonged  beyond  mine — though  I  should 
wish,  if  it  were  possible,  to  spare  you  that  pain.  It  is  the 
one  left  alone  who  suffers,  not  the  one  who  goes  to  be  with 
Christ.  If  it  should  only  be  the  will  of  God  that  we  might 
go  together,  like  young  James  and  his  wife  !  But  He  will 
order  all  things  well,  and  we  can  safely  trust  our  future  to 
His  hands.' 

"  That  same  night  we  were  roused  from  sleep  by  the  sudden 
illness  of  one  of  the  children.  There  was  an  unpleasant, 
chilling  dampness  in  the  air,  as  it  came  to  us  through  the 
openings  in  the  sloats  above  the  windows,  which  affected 
your  brother  very  sensibly ;  and  he  soon  began  to  shiver  so 
violently  that  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  his  couch,  where  he 
remained  under  a  warm  covering  until  morning.  In  the 
morning  he  awoke  with  a  severe  cold,  accompanied  by 
some  degree  of  fever  ;  but  as  it  did  not  seem  very  serious, 
and  our  three  children  were  all  suffering  from  a  similar 
cause,  we  failed  to  give  it  any  especial  attention.  From  that 
time  he  was  never  well,  though  in  writing  to  you  before,  I 
think  I  dated  the  commencement  of  his  illness  from  the 
month  of  November,  when  he  laid  aside  his  studies.  I  know 
that  he  regarded  this  attack  as  trifling  ;  and  yet  one  evening 
he  spent  a  long  time  in  advising  me  with  regard  to  my  future 
course,  if  I  should  be  deprived  of  his  guidance,  saying  that 
it  is  always  wise  to  be  prepared  for  exigencies  of  this  nature. 
After  the  month  of  November,  he  failed  gradually,  occa- 
sionally rallying  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deceive  us  all,  but 
at  each  relapse  sinking  lower  than  at  the  previous  one,  though 


LAST  YEARS.  535 

Still  full  of  hope  and  courage,  and  yielding  ground  only  inch 
by  inch,  as  compelled  by  the  triumphant  progress  of  disease. 
During  some  hours  of  every  day  he  suffered  intense  pain  ; 
but  his  naturally  buoyant  spirits  and  uncomplaining  dispo- 
sition led  him  to  speak  so  lightly  of  it,  that  I  used  sometimes 
CO  fear  that  the  doctor,  though  a  very  skilful  man,  would  be 
fatally  deceived. 

"As  his  health  declined,  his  mental  exercises  at  first 
seemed  deepened  ;  and  he  gave  still  larger  portions  of  his 
time  to  prayer,  conversing  with  the  utmost  freedom  on  his 
daily  progress,  and  the  extent  of  his  self-conquest.  Just  be- 
fore our  trip  to  Mergui,  which  took  place  in  January,  he 
looked  up  from  his  pillow  one  day  with  sudden  animation, 
and  said  to  me  earnestly,  '  I  have  gained  the  victory  at  last. 
I  love  every  one  of  Christ's  redeemed,  as  I  believe  He  would 
have'me  love  them — in  the  same  manner,  though  not  probably 
to  the  same  degree,  as  we  shall  love  one  another  in  heaven  ; 
and  gladly  would  I  prefer  the  meanest  of  His  creatures,  who 
bears  His  name,  before  myself.'  This  he  said  in  allusion  to 
the  text,  *  In  honor  preferring  one  another,'  on  which  he  had 
frequently  dwelt  with  great  emphasis.  After  further  similar 
conversation,  he  concluded  :  *  And  now  here  I  lie  at  peace 
with  all  the  world,  and  what  is  better  still,  at  peace  with  my 
own  conscience.  I  know  that  I  am  a  miserable  sinner  in  the 
sight  of  God,  with  no  hope  but  in  the  blessed  Saviour's 
merits  ;  but  I  can  not  think  of  any  particular  fault,  any  pe- 
culiarly besetting  sin,  which  it  is  now  my  duty  to  correct. 
Can  you  tell  me  of  any  ?  ' 

"And  truly,  from  this  time  no  other  word  would  so  well 
express  his  state  of  feeling  as  that  one  of  his  own  choosing — 
peace.  He  had  no  particular  exercises  afterward,  but  re- 
mained calm  and  serene,  speaking  of  himself  daily  as  a  great 
sinner,  who  had  been  overwhelmed  with  benefits,  and  de- 
claring that  he  had  never  in  all  his  life  before  had  such  de- 
lightful views  of  the  unfathomable  love  and  infinite  conde- 
scension of  the  Saviour  as  were  now  daily  opening  before 
him.  '  O,  the  love  of  Christ !  the  love  of  Christ  ! '  he  would 
suddenly  exclaim,  while  his  eye  kindled,  and  the  tears  chased 


536  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

each  other  down  his  cheeks  ;  '  we  can  not  understand  it  now 
— but  what  a  beautiful  study  for  eternity  ! ' 

"  After  our  return  from  Mergui,  the  doctor  advised  a  still 
further  trial  of  the  effects  of  sea  air  and  sea  bathing ;  and 
we  accordingly  proceeded  to  Amherst,  where  we  remained 
nearly  a  month.  This  to  me  was  the  darkest  period  of  his 
illness — no  medical  adviser,  no  friend,  at  hand,  and  he  daily 
growing  weaker  and  weaker.  He  began  to  totter  in  walking, 
clinging  to  the  furniture  and  walls,  when  he  thought  he  was 
unobserved  (for  he  was  not  willing  to  acknowledge  the  ex- 
tent of  his  debility),  and  his  wan  face  was  of  a  ghastly  pale- 
ness. His  sufferings,  too,  were  sometimes  fearfully  intense, 
so  that,  in  spite  of  his  habitual  self-control,  his  groans  would 
fill  the  house.  At  other  times  a  kind  of  lethargy  seemed  to 
steal  over  him,  and  he  would  sleep  almost  incessantly  for 
twenty-four  hours,  seeming  annoyed  if  he  were  aroused  or 
disturbed.  Yet  there  were  portions  of  the  time  when  he  was 
comparatively  comfortable,  and  conversed  intelligently  ;  but 
his  mind  seemed  to  revert  to  former  scenes,  and  he  tried  to 
amuse  me  with  stories  of  his  boyhood,  his  college  days,  his 
imprisonment  in  France,  and  his  early  missionary  life.  He 
had  a  great  deal  also  to  say  on  his  favorite  theme,  '  the  love 
of  Christ';  but  his  strength  was  too  much  impaired  for  any 
continuous  mental  effort.  Even  a  short  prayer,  made  audibly, 
exhausted  him  to  such  a  degree  that  he  was  obliged  to  dis- 
continue the  practice. 

"At  length  I  wrote  to  Maulmain,  giving  some  expression 
of  my  anxieties  and  misgivings,  and  our  kind  missionary 
friends,  who  had  from  the  first  evinced  all  the  tender  interest 
and  watchful  sympathy  of  the  nearest  kindred,  immediately 
sent  for  us — the  doctor  advising  a  sea  voyage.  But  as  there 
was  no  vessel  in  the  harbor  bound  for  a  port  sufficiently  dis- 
tant, we  thought  it  best,  in  the  meantime,  to  remove  from 
our  old  dwelling,  which  had  long  been  condemned  as  un- 
healthy, to  another  mission-house,  fortunately  empty.  This 
change  was,  at  first,  attended  with  the  most  beneficial  results  ; 
and  our  hopes  revived  so  much,  that  we  looked  forward  to 
the  approaching  rainy  season  for  entire  restoration.     But  it 


LAST  YEARS.  537 

lasted  only  a  little  while  ;  and  then  both  of  us  became  con- 
vinced that,  though  a  voyage  at  sea  involved  much  that  was 
exceedingly  painful,  it  yet  presented  the  only  prospect  of  re- 
covery, and  could  not,  therefore,  without  a  breach  of  duty, 
be  neglected. 

"  *  O,  if  it  were  only  the  will  of  God  to  take  me  now — to 
let  me  die  here  !'  he  repeated  over  and  over  again,  in  a  tone 
of  anguish,  while  we  were  considering  the  subject.  '  I  can 
not,  can  not  go  !  This  is  almost  more  than  I  can  bear  !  Was 
there  ever  suffering  like  our  suffering?'  and  the  like  broken 
expressions,  were  continually  falling  from  his  lips.  But 
he  soon  gathered  more  strength  of  purpose  ;  and  after  the 
decision  was  fairly  made,  he  never  hesitated  for  a  moment, 
rather  regarding  the  prospect  with  pleasure.  I  think  the 
struggle  which  this  resolution  cost  injured  him  very  materi- 
ally ;  though  probably  it  had  no  share  in  bringing  about  the 
final  result.  God,  who  saw  the  end  from  the  beginning,  had 
counted  out  his  days,  and  they  were  hastening  to  a  close. 
Until  this  time  he  had  been  able  to  stand,  and  to  walk  slowly 
from  room  to  room  ;  but  as  he  one  evening  attempted  to  rise 
from  his  chair,  he  was  suddenly  deprived  of  his  small  rem- 
nant of  muscular  strength,  and  would  have  fallen  to  the  floor 
but  for  timely  support. 

"  From  that  moment  his  decline  was  rapid.  As  he  lay 
helplessly  upon  his  couch,  and  watched  the  swelling  of  his 
feet,  and  other  alarming  symptoms,  he  became  very  anxious 
to  commence  his  voyage,  and  I  felt  equally  anxious  to  have 
his  wishes  gratified.  I  still  hoped  he  might  recover  ;  the 
doctor  said  the  chances  of  life  and  death  were,  in  his  opinion, 
equally  balanced.  And  then  he  always  loved  the  sea  so 
dearly  !  There  was  something  exhilarating  to  him  in  the 
motion  of  a  vessel,  and  he  spoke  with  animation  of  getting 
free  from  the  almost  suffocating  atmosphere  incident  to  the 
hot  season,  and  drinking  in  the  fresh  sea  breezes.  He  talked 
but  little  more,  however,  than  was  necessary  to  indicate  his 
wants,  his  bodily  sufferings  being  too  great  to  allow  of  con- 
versation ;  but  several  times  he  looked  up  to  me  with  a  bright 
smile,  and  exclaimed,  as  heretofore,  '  O,  the  love  of  Christ ! 
the  love  of  Christ! ' 


538  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOM. 

"I  found  it  difficult  to  ascertain,  from  expressions  casually 
dropped  from  time  to  time,  his  real  opinion  with  regard  to 
his  recovery  ;  but  I  thought  there  was  some  reason  to  doubt 
whether  he  was  fully  aware  of  his  critical  situation.  I  did 
not  suppose  he  had  any  preparation  to  make  at  this  late 
hour,  and  I  felt  sure  that,  if  he  should  be  called  ever  so  un- 
expectedly, he  would  not  enter  the  presence  of  his  Maker 
with  a  ruffled  spirit ;  but  I  could  not  bear  to  have  him  go 
away  without  knowing  how  doubtful  it  was  whether  our  next 
meeting  would  not  be  in  eternity  ;  and  perhaps,  too,  in  my 
own  distress,  I  might  still  have  looked  for  words  of  en- 
couragement and  sympathy  to  a  source  which  had  never  be- 
fore failed. 

"  It  was  late  in  the  night,  and  I  had  been  performing  some 
little  sick-room  offices,  when  suddenly  he  looked  up  to  me, 
and  exclaimed,  *  This  will  never  do  !  You  are  killing  your- 
self for  me,  and  I  will  not  permit  it.  You  must  have  some 
one  to  relieve  you.  If  I  had  not  been  made  selfish  by  suffer- 
ing, I  should  have  insisted  upon  it  long  ago.' 

"  He  spoke  so  like  himself,  with  the  earnestness  of  health, 
and  in  a  tone  to  which  my  ear  had  of  late  been  a  stranger, 
that  for  a  moment  I  felt  almost  bewildered  with  sudden  hope. 
He  received  my  reply  to  what  he  had  said  with  a  half-pity- 
ing, half-gratified  smile  ;  but  in  the  meantime  his  expression 
had  changed — the  marks  of  excessive  debility  were  again  ap- 
parent, and  I  could  not  forbear  adding,  '  It  is  only  a  little 
while,  you  know.' 

"' Only  a  little  while,' he  repeated  mournfully;  'this  sep- 
aration is  a  bitter  thing,  but  it  does  not  distress  me  now  as 
it  did — I  am  too  weak.'  '  You  have  no  reason  to  be  distressed,' 
I  answered,  'with  such  glorious  prospects  before  you.  You 
have  often  told  me  it  is  the  one  left  alone  who  suffers,  not 
the  one  who  goes  to  be  with  Christ.'  He  gave  me  a  rapid, 
questioning  glance,  then  assumed  for  several  moments  an 
attitude  of  deep  thought.  Finally,  he  slowly  unclosed  his 
eyes,  and  fixing  them  on  me,  said  in  a  calm,  earnest  tone,  '  I 
do  not  believe  I  am  going  to  die.  I  think  I  know  why  this 
illness  has  been  sent  upon  me  ;  I  needed  it  :  I  feel  that  it 


LAST  YEARS. 


539 


has  done  me  good  ;  and  it  is  my  impression  that  I  shall  now 
recover,  and  be  a  better  and  more  useful  man.' 

"'Then  it  is  your  wish  to  recover?'  I  inquired.  'If  it 
should  be  the  will  of  God,  yes.  I  should  like  to  complete 
the  dictionary,  on  which  I  have  bestowed  so  much  labor, 
now  that  it  is  so  nearly  done  ;  for  though  it  has  not  been  a 
work  that  pleased  my  taste,  or  quite  satisfied  my  feelings,  I 
have  never  underrated  its  importance.  Then  after  that  come 
all  the  plans  that  we  have  formed.  O,  I  feel  as  if  I  were  only 
just  beginning  to  be  prepared  for  usefulness.' 

"  '  It  is  the  opinion  of  most  of  the  mission,'  I  remarked, 
'that  you  will  not  recover.'  'I  know  it  is,'  he  replied  ;  'and 
I  suppose  they  think  me  an  old  man,  and  imagine  it  is  noth- 
ing for  one  like  me  to  resign  a  life  so  full  of  trials.  But  I 
am  not  old — at  least  in  that  sense  ;  you  know  I  am  not.  O, 
no  man  ever  left  this  world,  with  more  inviting  prospects, 
with  brighter  hopes  or  warmer  feelings — warmer  feelings, 
he  repeated,  and  burst  into  tears.*  His  face  was  perfectly 
placid,  even  while  the  tears  broke  away  from  the  closed  lids, 
and  rolled,  one  after  another,  down  to  the  pillow.  There  was 
no  trace  of  agitation  or  pain  in  his  manner  of  weeping,  but 
it  was  evidently  the  result  of  acute  sensibilities,  combined 
with  great  physical  weakness.  To  some  suggestions  which 
I  ventured  to  make,  he  replied  :  '  It  is  not  that — I  know  all 
that,  and  feel  it  in  my  inmost  heart.  Lying  here  on  my  bed, 
when  I  could  not  talk,  I  have  had  such  views  of  the  loving 
condescension  of  Christ,  and  the  glories  of  heaven,  as  I  be- 
lieve are  seldom  granted  to  mortal  man.  It  is  not  because  I 
shrink  from  death  that  I  wish  to  live,  neither  is  it  because 
the  ties  that  bind  me  here,  though  some  of  them  are  very 
sweet,  bear  any  comparison  with  the  drawings  I  at  times  feel 
toward  heaven  ;  but  a  few  years  would  not  be  missed  from 
my  eternity  of  bliss,  and  I  can  well  afford  to  spare  them, 
both  for  your  sake  and  for  the  sake  of  the  poor  Burmans.     I 


*  "  There  is  nothing  outside  of  inspiration  more  touchingly  and  sublimely  beauti- 
ful ;  nothing  which,  in  its  blending  of  the  gushing  tenderness  of  the  man,  with  the  ha., 
lowed  raptures  of  the  saint,  gives  a  juster  conception  of  the  real  elements  of  heaven." 
— Dr.  Kend}  Ick's  "  Life  and  Letters  of  Emily  C.  Judson." 


540  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

am  not  tired  of  my  work,  neither  am  I  tired  of  the  world  ; 
yet  when  Christ  calls  me  home,  I  shall  go  with  the  gladness 
of  a  boy  bounding  away  from  his  school.  Perhaps  I  feel 
something  like  the  young  bride,  when  she  contemplates  re- 
signing the  pleasant  associations  of  her  childhood  for  a  yet 
dearer  home — though  only  a  very  little  like  her,  for  there  is 
no  doubt  resting  on  my  future.'  '  Then  death  would  not  take 
you  by  surprise,'  I  remarked,  '  if  it  should  come  even  before 
you  could  get  on  board  ship  ? '  '  O,  no,'  he  said,  *  death  wil' 
never  take  me  by  surprise — do  not  be  afraid  of  that — I  feel 
so  strong  in  Christ.  He  has  not  led  me  so  tenderly  thus  far, 
to  forsake  me  at  the  very  gate  of  heaven.  No,  no  ;  I  am 
willing  to  live  a  few  years  longer,  if  it  should  be  so  ordered  ; 
and  if  otherwise,  I  am  willing  and  glad  to  die  now.  I  leave 
myself  entirely  in  the  hands  of  God,  to  be  disposed  of  ac- 
cording to  His  holy  will.' 

"  The  next  day  some  one  mentioned,  in  his  presence,  that 
the  native  Christians  were  greatly  opposed  to  the  voyage, 
and  that  many  other  persons  had  a  similar  feeling  with  re- 
gard to  it.  I  thought  he  seemed  troubled,  and  after  the 
visitor  had  withdrawn,  I  inquired  if  he  still  felt  as  when  he 
conversed  with  me  the  night  previous.  He  replied,  '  O,  yes  ; 
that  was  no  evanescent  feeling.  It  has  been  with  me,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  for  years,  and  will  be  with  me,  I  trust, 
to  the  end.  I  am  ready  to  go  to-day — if  it  should  be  the  will 
of  God,  this  very  hour  ;  but  I  am  not  anxious  to  die  ;  at  least 
when  I  am  not  beside  myself  with  pain.' 

"  '  Then  why  are  you  so  desirous  to  go  to  sea  ?  I  should 
think  it  would  be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  you.'  '  No,'  he 
answered  quietly,  'my  judgment  tells  me  it  would  be  wrong 
not  to  go  ;  the  doctor  says  criminal.  I  shall  certainly  die 
here  ;  if  I  go  away  I  may  possibly  recover.  There  is  no 
question  with  regard  to  duty  in  such  a  case  ;  and  I  do  not 
.ike  to  see  any  hesitation,  even  though  it  springs  from  affec- 
tion.' 

"  He  several  times  spoke  of  a  burial  at  sea,  and  always  as 
though  the  prospect  were  agreeable.  It  brought,  he  said,  a 
sense  of  freedom  and  expansion,  and  seemed  far  pleasantei 


LAST  YEARS.  541 

than  the  confined,  dark,  narrow  grave,  to  which  he  had  com- 
mitted so  many  that  he  loved.  And  he  added,  that  although 
his  burial-place  was  a  matter  of  no  real  importance,  yet  he 
believed  it  was  not  in  human  nature  to  be  altogether  with- 
out a  choice. 

"  I  have  alrejwdy  given  you  an  account  of  the  embarkation, 
of  my  visits  to  him  while  the  vessel  remained  in  the  river,  and 
of  our  last  sad,  silent  parting  ;  and  Mr.  Ranney  has  finished 
the  picture.  You  will  find,  in  this  closing  part,  some  dark 
shadows  that  will  give  you  pain  ;  but  you  must  remember 
that  his  present  felicity  is  enhanced  by  those  very  sufferings  ; 
and  we  should  regret  nothing  that  serves  to  brighten  his 
crown  in  glory.  I  ought  also  to  add,  that  I  have  gained 
pleasanter  impressions  in  conversation  with  Mr.  Ranney 
than  from  his  written  account  ;  but  it  would  be  difficult  to 
convey  them  to  you  ;  and,  as  he  whom  they  concern  was  ac- 
customed to  say  of  similar  things,  'you  will  learn  it  all  in 
heaven.' 

"  During  the  last  hour  of  your  sainted  brother's  life,  Mr. 
Ranney  bent  over  him,  and  held  his  hand,  while  poor  Pana- 
pah  stood  at  a  little  distance  w^eeping  bitterly.  The  table 
had  been  spread  in  the  cuddy,  as  usual,  and  the  officers  did 
not  know  what  was  passing  in  the  Cabin,  till  summoned  to 
dinner.  Then  they  gathered  about  the  door,  and  watched 
the  closing  scene  with  solemn  reverence.  Now — thanks  to 
a  merciful  God  ! — his  pains  had  left  him  ;  not  a  momentary 
spasm  disturbed  his  placid  face,  nor  did  the  contraction  of  a 
muscle  denote  the  least  degree  of  suffering  ;  the  agony  of 
death  was  passed,  and  his  wearied  spirit  was  turning  to  its 
rest  in  the  bosom  of  the  Saviour.  From  time  to  time  he 
pressed  the  hand  in  which  his  own  was  resting,  his  clasp 
losing  in  force  at  each  successive  pressure  ;  while  his  short- 
ened breath — though  there  was  no  struggle,  no  gasping,  as 
if  it  came  and  went  with  difficulty — gradually  grew  softer 
and  fainter,  until  it  died  upon  the  air — and  he  was  gone. 
Mr.  Ranney  closed  the  eyes,  and  composed  the  passive 
limbs  ;  the  ship's  officers  stole  softly  from  the  door,  and  the 
neglected  meal  was  left  upon  the  board  untasted. 


542  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

"They  lowered  him  to  his  ocean  grave  without  a  prayer 
His  freed  spirit  had  soared  above  the  reach  of  earthly  in- 
tercession, and  to  the  foreigners  who  stood  around,  it  would 
have  been  a  senseless  form.  And  there  they  left  him  in  his 
unquiet  sepulchre  ;  but  it  matters  little,  for  we  know  that 
while  the  unconscious  clay  is  *  drifting  on  the  shifting  cur- 
rents of  the  restless  main,'  nothing  can  disturb  the  hallowed 
rest  of  the  immortal  spirit.  Neither  could  he  have  a  more 
fitting  monument  than  the  blue  waves  which  visit  every 
coast;  for  his  warm  sympathies  went  forth  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  and  included  the  whole  family  of  man.  It  is  all 
as  God  would  have  it,  and  our  duty  is  but  to  bend  meekly  to 
His  will,  and  wait,  in  faith  and  patience,  till  we  also  shall  be 
summoned  home." 

Of  these  days,  Mr,  Ranney  thus  wrote  to  the  Corre- 
sponding Secretary : 

"  Dr.  Judson  was  carried  on  board  the  French  barque  Aris- 
tide  Marie,  bound  for  the  Isle  of  Bourbon,  with  the  reluctant 
assent  of  his  friends,  his  physician  having  recommended  such 
a  voyage  as  the  only  possible  means  of  restoration.  It  being 
desirable  to  get  to  sea  as  soon  as  practicable,  application  was 
made  to  the  commissioner  of  the  provinces,  to  permit  the 
barque  to  be  towed  out  of  the  river  by  the  steamer  Proserpine, 
which  was  that  morning  to  proceed  southward  with  troops. 
Permission  was  granted,  and  on  Wednesday,  April  3,  by 
the  kindness  of  Captain  Lawford,  commandant  of  artillery, 
a  palanquin  and  bearers  took  Dr.  Judson,  then  too  weak  to 
stand,  and  carried  him  on  board.  There  they  learned,  with 
surprise  and  sorrow,  that  the  steamer  would  not  take  them 
in  tow.  The  commander  of  the  troops  claimed  that,  while 
employed  as  a  military  transport,  the  vessel  was  not  subject 
to  the  commissioner's  order,  and  on  the  ground  that  it  might 
endanger  the  lives  of  the  soldiers,  declined  to  comply  with 
it.  The  consequence  of  this  collision  of  authorities  was, 
that,  instead  of  getting  to  sea  in  twenty-four  hours,  they 
were  five  days  in  reaching  Amherst,  and  it  was  six  days  be- 
fore the  pilot  left  the  vessel.  How  much  was  thus  lost  it  is 
impossible  to  conjecture. 


LAST  YEARS  543 

"The  delay  permitted  Mrs.  Judson  (who  would  glaJly  have 
accompanied  her  husband,  though  at  the  hazard  of  her  life 
if  he  had  consented),  and  Mr,  Stilson,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs 
Stevens  to  visit  him  repeatedly,  and  minister  to  his  comfort 
He  bore  the  fatigue  of  embarkation  very  well,  and  on  Thurs- 
day took  more  refreshment  than  for  several  days  previous. 
This  gave  hope  of  a  favorable  change  ;  but  on  Friday  he  was 
not  as  well,  and  his  two  Burmese  assistants,  Ko  En  and  Ko 
Shway  Doke,  disciples  of  many  years'  standing,  who  remain- 
ed on  board  till  the  pilot  left  the  vessel,  requested  that  he 
might  be  taken  back  to  Maulmain.  They  were  confident  he 
was  near  his  end,  and  could  not  endure  the  thought  of  his 
burial  in  the  ocean  ;  they  wanted  his  grave  to  be  made  where 
they  and  the  other  disciples  could  look  upon  it.*  But  any 
attempt  to  do  this  would  have  proved  fatal,  and  there  was 
no  choice  but  to  fulfil  their  original  purpose,  Mr.  Stilson  re- 
minding the  affectionate  disciples  of  the  death  and  unknown 
burial-place  of  Moses, 

"  On  Saturday  he  was  perceptibly  weaker.  Such  was  his 
pain  that  he  said  he  would  willingly  die  if  he  could.  On 
Sunday,  being  more  calm  and  free  from  pain,  he  conversed 
freely  and  m.ore  at  length  than  he  had  been  able  to  do,  de- 
scribing somewhat  minutely  the  causes  of  his  pain.  He  said 
that  no  one  could  conceive  the  intensity  of  his  sufferings. 
Death  would  have  been  a  glad  relief.  The  idea  of  death 
caused  no  peculiar  emotion  of  either  fear  or  transport.  His 
mind  was  so  affected  by  suffering  that  he  could  not  think,  or 


*  Mr.  Judson's  departure  caused  the  deepest  sorrow  among  the  disciples  whom  he 
left  behind.  The  following  story  is  told  concerning  Ko  Dwah,  one  of  the  deacons  in 
the  native  church  at  Maulmain  :  "  This  man  was  devotedly  attached  to  Dr.  Judson. 
Both  were  taken  sick  at  nearly  the  same  time,  so  that  during  their  illness  they  met 
but  once,  and  the  old  deacon  could  not,  with  the  other  disciples,  accompany  the 
dying  pastor  to  the  wharf.  As  soon  as  Dr,  Judson  removed,  the  house  which  he 
occupied,  and  which  had  long  been  condemned  by  Dr.  Morton  for  its  unhealthiness, 
was  removed.  Ko  Dwah  was  not  aware  of  the  circumstance,  though  living  in  the 
vicinity,  until  the  spot  was  left  bare.  He  then  insisted  upon  leaving  his  bed  to  look 
upon  the  ruin.  He  hobbled  on  his  staff  across  the  road,  ascended  the  chapel  step.c 
with  great  difficulty,  and  then  sitting  down,  rested  his  chin  on  his  palms,  and  burst 
into  a  loud,  wild  sort  of  lamentation,  like  the  wailing  at  a  funeral.  Neither  mind  nor 
body  ever  recovered  from  the  shock,  though  he  lingered  on  for  some  time  longer," 


ij44  '^'^E  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

even  pra3\  Nay,  he  could  not  think  of  his  wife  and  family. 
He  had  bitter  sorrow  in  parting  with  them  at  first ;  but  in 
Mrs.  Judson's  subsequent  visit,  speech  had  been  almost 
denied  him  ;  and  when  they  parted  the  day  before,  ])erhaps 
the  last  time  on  earth,  it  was  without  a  word,  and  almost 
without  a  thought,  so  entirely  had  pain  absorbed  every 
faculty.  Yet  he  felt  he  had  nothing  to  complain  of.  He 
knew  it  was  the  will  of  God,  and  therefore  right.  Alluding 
to  the  swelling  of  his  feet,  he  said  :  'The  natives  are  fright- 
ened when  they  see  this.  They  regard  it  as  a  sure  sign  of 
approaching  death  ;  but  I  do  not.  I  have  talked  with  the 
doctor  about  this,  and  have  myself  remarked,  at  different 
times,  the  swelling  and  subsiding.  I  still  feel  that  there  is 
so  much  of  life  in  me  that  I  shall  recover.' 

"  On  Monday,  the  6th,  at  half-past  three  o'clock  p.m.,  the 
pilot,  with  the  two  assistants  above  named,  and  Moung 
Shway-moung,  of  the  Amherst  church,  left  the  ship.  At  the 
request  of  Dr.  Judson,  Mr.  Ranney  wrote  to  Mrs.  Judson  his 
opinion  of  himself,  that '  he  went  out  to  sea  with  a  strong  feel- 
ing that  he  should  recover.'  But  on  the  same  day  the  violence 
of  his  pains  returned,  and  his  left  side  was  swollen  much, 
from  which  he  gained  partial  relief.  On  Tuesday  morning, 
the  Tenasserim  coast  being  yet  visible,  they  enjoyed  a  fresh 
and  invigorating  breeze  ;  but  a  violent  thunder-storm  came 
on,  followed  by  a  calm.  For  a  short  time  Dr.  Judson  suf- 
fered less  pain  ;  but  a  hiccough  increased  upon  him.  He 
said,  'This  hiccough  is  killing  me;  can  you  think  of  any- 
thing to  do  for  it?'  He  afterward  slept  considerably,  and 
took  some  slight  refreshment ;  but  in  the  afternoon  a  new 
symptom  appeared,  which  continued  to  the  last — frequent 
vomiting  and  an  inability  to  retain  anything  upon  his 
stomach. 

"  During  the  night  and  the  next  day  the  weather  was  ex- 
ceedingly hot.  Dr.  Judson  refused  all  nourishment,  and  in- 
clined to  sleep,  probably  on  account  of  the  laudanum  and 
ether  administered.  He  said  he  should  weary  them  but  little 
longer.  The  captain  gave  several  prescriptions  without 
effect;  on  which  he  said,  'It  is  of  but  little  consequence.     I 


LAST  YEARS. 


545 


do  not  wish  any  one  to  think  I  died  because  all  was  not  done 
that  could  be  done  for  me.  Medicine  is  of  no  use.  The  dis- 
ease will  take  its  course.'  While  suffering  the  acute  pain 
which  invariably  preceded  vomiting,  he  said,  '  O  that  I  could 
die  at  once,  and  go  immediately  into  Paradise,  where  there 
is  no  pain.' 

"  On  the  evening  of  Wednesday,  as  Mr.  Ranney  was  sitting 
by  his  bedside,  he  said,  '  I  am  glad  you  are  here.  I  do  not 
feel  so  abandoned.  You  are  my  only  kindred  now — the  only 
one  on  board  who  loves  Christ,  I  mean  ;  and  it  is  a  great 
comfort  to  have  one  near  me  who  loves  Christ.'  'I  hope,' 
said  Mr.  Ranney,  'you  feel  that  Christ  is  now  near,  sustaining 
you.'  'O,  yes,' he  replied,  '// /i- a;// n^/// ///^r^.  I  believe  He 
gives  me  just  so  much  pain  and  suffering  as  is  necessary  to 
fit  me  to  die — to  make  me  submissive  to  His  will.'  The  cap- 
tain— who  spoke  but  little  English,  but  took  unwearied  pains 
to  make  himself  understood  by  a  frequent  resortto  a  French 
and  English  dictionary,  and  was  a  pattern  of  kindness  and 
benevolence — offered  another  prescription  ;  but  Dr.  Judson 
thanked  him,  and  declined.  He  spoke  of  the  invigorating 
influence  of  the  wind,  and  expressed  a  fear  that  they  would 
lose  it  during  the  night ;  which  proved  true.  After  midnight 
there  was  a  dead  calm,- and  a  very  oppressive  atmosphere. 
At  two  o'clock  his  breathing  became  very  difficult  ;  but  after- 
ward he  breathed  more  freely. 

"  On  Thursday  morning  his  eyes  had  a  dull  appearance, 
remained  half-closed  while  sleeping,  and  seemed  glassy  and 
death-like.  His  stomach  rejected  all  refreshment.  At  ten 
and  twelve  o'clock  he  took  some  ether,  which  he  said  did 
him  good.  After  vomiting,  with  the  suffering  which  pre- 
ceded it,  he  said, '  O,  how  few  there  are  who  suffer  such  great 
torment — who  die  so  hard  ! '  During  all  the  night  his  suf- 
ferings increased,  so  that  it  was  inexpressibly  painful  to  be- 
hold his  agony — sometimes  calling  for  water,  which  gave 
relief  only  while  he  was  drinking  it,  to  be  followed  by  the 
pain  of  ejecting  it.  At  midnight  he  said  his  fever  had  re- 
turned. His  extremities  were  cold,  his  head  hot.  It  was  the 
fever  of  death.  His  weakness  was  such  that  he  now  seldom 
35 


546  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JVDSON. 

spoke,  except  to  indicate  some  want,  which  he  more  fre- 
quently did  by  signs. 

''During  the  forenoon  of  Friday,  the  12th,  his  countenance 
was  that  of  a  dying  man.  About  noon  he  showed  some 
aberration  of  mind  ;  but  it  was  only  transient.  At  three 
o'clock  he  said,  in  Burman,  to  Panapah,  a  native  servant,  'It 
is  done  ;  I  am  going.'  Shortly  after,  he  made  a  sign  with  his 
hand  downward,  which  was  not  understood  ;  drawing  Mr. 
Ranney's  ear  close  to  his  mouth,  he  said,  convulsively, 
'  Brother  Ranney,  will  you  bury  me  ?  bury  me  ? — quick  ! 
quick ! '  These  words  were  prompted,  perhaps,  by  the 
thought  of  burial  in  the  sea  crossing  his  mind.  Mr.  Ranney 
here  being  called  out  for  a  moment.  Dr.  Judson  spoke  to  the 
servant  in  English,  and  also  in  Burman,  of  Mrs.  Judson,  bid- 
ding him  '  take  care  of  poor  mistress  ';  and  at  fifteen  minutes 
past  four  o'clock  he  breathed  his  last.  '  His  death,'  says  Mr. 
Ranney,  'was  like  falling  asleep.  Not  the  movement  of  a 
muscle  was  perceptible,  and  the  moment  of  the  going  out  of 
life  was  indicated  only  by  his  ceasing  to  breathe.  A  gentle 
pressure  of  the  hand,  growing  more  and  more  feeble  as  life 
waned,  showed  the  peacefulness  of  the  spirit  about  to  take 
its  homeward  flight.' 

"It  was  first  determined  to  keep'the  body  until  Saturday 
for  burial  ;  but  Mr.  Ranney  was  admonished  of  the  necessity 
of  immediate  preparations.  A  strong  plank  coffin  was  soon 
constructed  ;  several  buckets  of  sand  were  poured  in  to  make 
it  sink  ;  and  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  crew  assem- 
bled, the  larboard  port  was  opened,  and  in  perfect  silence, 
broken  only  by  the  voice  of  the  captain,  all  that  was  mortal 
of  Dr.  Judson  was  committed  to  the  deep,  in  latitude  thir- 
teen degrees  north,  longitude  ninety-three  degrees  east,  nine 
days  after  their  embarkation  from  Maulmain,  and  scarcely 
three  days  out  of  sight  of  the  mountains  of  Burmah." 

The  record  of  these  last  days  may  be  fittingly  closed  by 
a  poem  written  by  Mrs.  Judson  after  her  husband's  depart- 
ure from  Maulmain : 


LAST  YEARS.  547 

Sweet  Mother. 

'  The  wild  south-west  monsoon  has  risen, 

On  broad  gray  wings  of  gloom, 
While  here  from  out  my  dreary  prison 
I  look  as  from  a  tomb — alas  ! 

My  heart  another  tomb. 

'  Upon  the  low  thatched  roof  the  rain 

With  ceaseless  patter  falls  : 
My  choicest  treasures  bear  its  stain. 
Mould  gathers  on  the  walls — would  Heaven 

'Twere  on/y  on  the  walls  ! 

'  Sweet  mother,  I  am  here  alone, 

In  sorrow  and  in  pain  ; 
The  sunshine  from  my  heart  has  flown. 
It  feels  the  driving  rain — ah,  me  ! 

The  chill,  and  mould,  and  rain. 

'  Four  laggard  months  have  wheeled  their  round 

Since  love  upon  it  smiled, 
And  everything  of  earth  has  frowned 
On  thy  poor  stricken  child, — sweet  friend  ; 
Thy  weary,  suffering  child. 

'  I'd  watched  my  loved  one  night  and  day, 

Scarce  breathing  when  he  slept. 
And  as  my  hopes  were  swept  away, 
I'd  in  his  bosom  wept. — O  God  ! 

How  had  I  prayed  and  wept ! 

They  bore  him  from  me  to  the  ship 

As  bearers  bear  the  dead  ; 
I  kissed  his  speechless,  quivering  lip, 
And  left  him  on  his  bed — alas  ! 

It  seemed  a  coffin  bed. 

'  Then,  mother,  little  Charlie  came. 

Our  beautiful,  fair  boy, 
With  my  own  father's  cherished  name, — 
But  O,  he  brought  no  joy, — my  child 

Brought  mourning  and  no  joy. 


548  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON  IRA  M  JUDSOM. 

"  His  little  grave  I  can  not  see, 

Though  weary  months  have  fled 
Since  pitying  lips  bent  over  me, 
And  whispered,  '  He  is  dead.' — Ah,  me  ! 
'Tis  dreadful  to  be  dead  ! 


'  I  do  not  mean  for  one  like  me, 
So  weary,  worn,  and  weak, — 
Death's  shadowy  paleness  seems  to  be 
Even  now  upon  my  cheek, — his  seal 
On  form,  and  brow,  and  cheek. 

But  for  a  bright-winged  bird  like  him. 

To  hush  his  joyous  song. 
And  prisoned  in  a  coffin  dim. 
Join  death's  pale  phantom  throng, — my  boy 

To  join  that  grisly  throng  ! 

'  O  mother,  I  can  scarcely  bear 

To  think  of  this  to-day : 
It  was  so  exquisitely  fair. 
That  little  form  of  clay, — my  heart 

Still  lingers  by  his  clay. 

'  And  when  for  one  loved  far,  far  more 

Come  thickly-gathering  tears. 
My  star  of  faith  is  clouded  o'er, 
I  sink  beneath  my  fears, — sweet  friend, 
My  heavy  weight  of  fears. 

O  but  to  feel  thy  fond  arms  twine 

Around  me  once  again  ! 
It  almost  seems  those  lips  of  thine 
Might  kiss  away  the  pain — might  soothe 

This  dull,  cold,  heavy  pain. 

'  But,  gentle  mother,  through  life's  storms 

I  may  not  lean  on  thee ; 
For  helpless,  cowering  little  forms. 
Cling  trustingly  to  me. — Poor  babes  ! 

To  ha\e  no  sfuide  but  me. 


LAST  YEARS. 

♦  With  \\v?ary  foot  and  broken  wing. 

With  bleeding  heart  and  sore, 
Thy  dove  looks  backward  sorrowing 
But  seeks  the  ark  no  more — thy  breast 
Seeks  never,  never  more. 

'Sweet  mother,  for  the  exile  pray, 

That  loftier  faith  be  given  ; 
Her  broken  reeds  all  swept  away. 
That  she  may  rest  in  heaven — her  soul 
Grow  strong  in  Christ  and  heaven. 

'  All  fearfully,  all  tearfully. 
Alone  and  sorrowing. 
My  dim  eye  lifted  to  the  sky — 
Fast  to  the  cross  I  cling— O  Christ  1 
To  Thy  dear  cross  I  cling. " 


549 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

POSTHUMOUS   INFLUENCE. 

Mr.  Judson  did  not  live  to  complete  the  Burmese  dic- 
tionary. He  finished  the  English  and  Burmese  part,  but 
the  Burmese  and  English  was  left  in  an  unfinished  state. 
In  accordance  with  his  desire,  expressed  only  a  few  days 
before  his  death,  Mrs.  Judson  transmitted  his  manuscripts 
to  his  friend  and  associate  in  missionary  toil,  Mr.  Stevens, 
upon  whom  accordingly  the  task  of  completing  the  work 
devolved.     Mrs.  Judson  thus  wrote  to  Mr.  Stevens: 

"  Maulmain,  September  4.   1850. 

"My  dear  Mr.  Stevens:  Parting  with  the  manuscripts 
which  were  every  day  before  my  eyes  during  three  happy 
years,  almost  carries  me  back  to  that  sad  morning  in  April 
when  he  passed  from  the  door  never  again  to  return.  But  I 
well  know  that  my  heavenly  Father  is  ordering  all  these 
things,  and  I  have  nothing  to  do  but  submit — nothing  to 
say  but  *  Thy  will,  O  God,  be  done  ! ' 

"A  few  days  before  Mr.  Judson  went  away,  he  told  me,  if 
he  should  never  return,  to  place  the  dictionary  papers  in 
your  hands,  and  it  is  in  compliance  with  that  request  that  I 
now  send  them.  I  suppose  that  he  would  not  have  improved 
the  English  and  Burmese  part  very  essentially  while  carry- 
ing it  through  the  press  ;  and  the  second  part,  the  Burmese 
and  English,  is,  as  far  as  he  had  advanced,  equally  complete. 

The  last  word  he  defined  was ,  and  the  corresponding 

initial  vowel . 

"  The  only  request  he  made  was  that  there  might  be  some 
(550) 


POSTHUMO  US  INFL  UENCE.  55 1 

distinct  mark,  both  in  the  dictionary  and  grammar,  to  indi- 
cate where  his  work  ended  and  yours  commenced.  The 
grammar  was  intended  to  preface  the  Burmese  and  English 
portion  of  the  dictionary,  but  is  complete  only  as  far  as  through 
the  cases  of  nouns — thirty-two  manuscript  pages.  I  believe 
this  grammar  was  on  a  somewhat  different  plan  from  the  old 
*  Grammatical  Notices  ';  but  I  send  a  printed  copy  of  that,  in 
which  he  has  marked  several  errors,  as  it  may  be  of  some  serv- 
ice to  you.  In  addition  to  the  finished  parts  of  the  diction- 
ary, you  will  find  the  two  old  manuscript  volumes  which  he 
had  in  use  ever  after  his  first  arrival  in  Burmah  ;  and  these 
I  beg  to  have  returned  to  me  when  the  work  is  completed 
Interlined  and  erased  as  they  are,  you  will  have  great  diffi- 
culty in  deciphering  them,  and  will  no  doubt  find  some  parts 
quite  illegible.  I  think  I  mentioned  to  you  the  plan  of  hav- 
ing Moung  Shway-loo  make  out,  from  the  old  printed  dic- 
tionary and  his  own  memory,  a  list  of  words  more  or  less 
synonymous,  and  I  send  the  books,  which,  although  not  to 
be  implicitly  relied  on,  are,  I  believe,  quite  valuable. 

"  There  is  one  bound  volume  which  I  do  not  recollect  hav- 
ing seen  before  ;  but  I  think  it  must  be  a  vocabulary  arranged 
from  an  original  Burmese  one,  as  I  have  heard  Mr.  J.  speak 
of  having  such  a  work.  The  remaining  papers,  consisting  of 
two  or  three  little  vocabularies,  and  the  like,  are,  I  suppose, 
of  no  great  value  ;  but  I  thought  it  best  to  send  everything 
in  any  way  connected  with  defining  words.  I  also  put  in 
with  the  rest  the  old  proof-sheets,  as  he  sometimes  had  occa- 
sion to  refer  to  them. 

"And  now,  may  the  blessing  of  God  rest  upon  this  work — 
on  you,  or  whoever  else  may  finish  it — on  all  who,  for  Christ's 
sake,  study  it,  and  upon  poor  Burmah,  in  whose  behalf  so 
much  time  and  labor  have  been  expended. 

"  Very  affectionately,  your  sister, 

"Emily  C.  Judson." 

During  the  long  winter  of  our  Northern  States,  some- 
times a  mass  of  snow  accumulates,  little  by  little,  in  the 
corner  of  the   farmer's  meadow.     Under  the  warm  rays  of 


552  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSON. 

the  spring  sun  the  dazzling  bank  gradually  melts  aAvay,  but 
leaves  upon  the  greensward  which  it  has  sheltered  a  fertiliz- 
ing deposit.  It  now  remains  for  us  to  ask  what  stimulat- 
ing residuum  this  great  life  which  we  have  attempted  to 
describe  left  behind  it  upon  the  surface  of  human  society. 

Mr.  Judson's  achievements  far  transcended  the  wildest  as- 
pirations of  his  youth.  During  the  early  years  in  Rangoon, 
when  the  mighty  purpose  of  evangelizing  Burmah  began  to 
take  definite  shape  in  his  mind ;  even  before  the  first  con- 
vert, Moung  Nau,  was  baptized  ;  when  indeed  the  young 
missionary  was  almost  forgotten  by  his  fellow-Christians  at 
home,  or  merely  pitied  as  a  good-hearted  enthusiast — the 
outermost  limit  reached  by  his  strong-winged  hope  was  that 
he  might,  before  he  died,  build  up  a  church  of  a  hundred  con- 
verted Burmans  and  translate  the  whole  Bible  into  their 
language.  But  far  more  than  this  was  accomplished  during 
the  ten  years  in  Rangoon,  the  two  years  in  Ava,  and  the 
twenty-three  years  in  Maulmain.  At  the  time  of  his  death, 
the  native  Christians  (Burmans  and  Karens  publicly  bap- 
tized upon  the  profession  of  their  faith)  numbered  over 
seven  thousand.  Besides  this,  hundreds  throughout  Burmah 
had  died  rejoicing  in  the  Christian  faith.  He  had  not  only 
finished  the  translation  of  the  Bible,  but  had  accomplished 
the  larger  and  the  more  difificult  part  of  the  compilation  of 
a  Burniese  dictionary.  At  the  time  of  his  death  there  were 
sixty-three  churches  established  among  the  Burmans  and 
Karens.  These  churches  were  under  the  oversight  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty-three  missionaries,  native  pastors,  and 
assistants.  He  had  laid  the  foundations  of  Christianity 
deep  down  in  the  Burman  heart  where  they  could  never  be 
washed  away. 

This  achievement  is  the  more  startling  when  we  consider 
that  all  divine  operations  are  slow  in  the  beginning,  but 
rush  to  the  consummation  with  lightning  speed.  Many 
long  days  elapse  while  the  icy  barriers  are  being  slowly 
loosened  beneath   the  breath  of  spring.      But  at  last  the 


FOS  THUMO  US  I  NFL  UENCE.  553 

freshet  comes,  and  the  huge  frozen  masses  are  broken  up 
and  carried  rapidly  to  the  sea.  The  leaves  slowly  ripen  for 
the  grave.  Though  withered,  they  still  cling  to  the  boughs. 
But  finally  a  day  comes  in  the  autumn  when  suddenly  the 
air  is  full  of  falling  foliage.  It  takes  a  long  time  for  the 
apple  to  reach  its  growth,  but  a  very  brief  time  sulifices  for 
the  ripening.     Tennyson's  lark 

"  Shook  his  song  together  as  he  neared 
His  happy  home,  the  ground." 

Nature-  is  instinct  with  this  law,  and  we  may  well  believe 
that  though  the  processes  are  slow  and  inconspicuous  by 
which  the  ancient  structures  of  false  religions  are  being  un- 
dermined, yet  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  tumble 
suddenly  into  ruins,  when  a  nation  shall  be  converted  in  a 
day,  when,  ''As  the  earth  bringeth  forth  her  bud,  and  as 
the  garden  causeth  the  things  that  are  sown  in  it  to  spring 
forth,  so  the  Lord  will  cause  righteousness  and  praise  to 
spring  forth  before  all  the  nations."  In  the  baptism  of  ten 
thousand  Telugus  in  India  within  a  single  year,  do  we  not 
already  see  the  gray  dawn  of  such  an  era  of  culmination  ? 

"  We  are  living,  we  are  dwelling 
In  a  grand  and  awful  time, 
In  an  age  on  ages  telling ; 
To  be  liv^ing  is  sublime. 
Hark  !  the  waking  up  of  nations, 

Gog  and  Magog  to  the  fray. 
Hark  !  what  soundeth  ?    'Tis  creation 
Groaning  for  its  latter  day." 

But  it  was  Mr.  Judson's  lot  to  labor  in  the  hard  and  ob- 
scure period  of  the  first  beginnings.  And  not  only  so,  but 
he  undertook  the  task  of  planting  Christianity  not  among 
a  people,  like  the  Sandwich  Islanders,  without  literature  and 
without  an  elaborate  religious  system,  but  rather  in  a  soil 
already  preoccupied  by  an  ancient  classical  literature  and 
by  a  time-honored  ritual  which  now  numbers  among  its  dev- 


554  ^^^  L^^^  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

otees  one-third  of  the  population  of  our  globe.  The  diffi- 
culties of  such  an  attempt  are  well  described  in  one  of  his 
sermons,  from  which  Mrs.  Stevens  has  preserved  a  striking 
illustration  : 

.  ..."  In  comparing  labors  among  a  people  without  a 
national  religion  to  labors  among  idolaters  or  Mussulmans, 
Dr.  Judson  used  a  figure  which  ought  to  be  published  in  the 
Macedonian  in  reply  to  some  things  which  have  appeared 
there  and  elsewhere,  to  the  import  that  difference  of  success 
among  Burmans  and  Karens  is  owing  to  difference  of  labor 
performed  among  them.  He  supposed  a  man  offering  to  fill 
two  jars,  one  of  which  stands  empty,  the  other  filled  with 
earth  oil  Now,  the  force  of  the  illustration  will  not  appear 
to  you  as  to  us,  because  we  are  so  familiar  with  this  oil  ;  and 
you  are  not,  as  we  are,  obliged  to  make  frequent  use  of  it ; 
but  you  can  judge  of  its  character  by  a  translation  of  the 
Burman  name  for  it,  *  stinking  water.'  The  smell  of  it  can 
not  be  extracted  from  a  jar  which  has  been  emptied  of  it, 
except  by  burning.  I  should  never  think  of  using  a  vessel 
which  had  once  contained  it  for  any  other  purpose.  To  re- 
turn to  the  illustration.  A  man  goes  to  the  owner  of  the 
empty  jar,  and  asks  if  he  may  fill  it  with  pure  and  sweet 
water.  *  O,  yes,  I  shall  consider  it  a  favor.'  So  the  Sand- 
wich Islander,  so  the  Karen  receives  the  truth,  the  benefits 
of  a  written  language,  and  instruction  in  books,  and  the  ele- 
vation that  follows,  as  favors  conferred  ;  and  as  there  are  no 
stains  of  ancient  superstitions,  they  are  better  Christians  than 
converts  from  heathenism.  When  I  say  no  stains,  of  course 
comparatively  is  meant. 

"Let  the  missionary  next  go  to  the  owner  of  the  jar  filled 
with  earth  oil.  He  must  first  empty  it,  which  the  owner  con 
siders  robbery.  He  would  say,  '  You  are  taking  away  my 
property  ;  this  is  my  merit,  which  I  have  been  many  years 
gathering.  You  wish  to  deprive  me  of  my  offerings.  I  will 
apply  to  the  king  and  priests  to  uphold  me  in  clinging  to  mj- 
property.'  But  the  missionary  says,  *  If  you  drink  that  oil  it 
will  be  poison  to  you  ;  let  me  give  you  water,  which  will  in 


POSTHUMOUS  INFLUENCE. 


555 


sure  life  eternal.'  '  O,  my  ancestors  have  all  drunk  of 
this,  and  I  wish  to  do  the  same  ;  this  is  good  for  me,  and 
/ours  for  you.  My  books  are  good  for  me,  and  my  religion, 
and  so  yours  for  you.'  But,  after  long  argument  and  per- 
suasion, he  gains  the  man's  consent  to  give  up  his  earth  oil, 
and  he  labors  through  the  process  of  dipping  it  out,  and 
cleansing  the  jar  ;  he  rubs  and  washes ;  the  man  all  the 
while  begging  him  not  to  deprive  him  of  all  of  it ;  to  allow 
him  some  of  his  former  customs,  and  some  of  the  practices 
of  his  worldly  neighbors  and  relatives  ;  and  often  so  much 
of  the  oil  is  left,  that  the  water  is  very  offensive,  and  by- 
standers say,  'We  do  not  perceive  that  the  water  is  any 
sweeter  than  the  oil.'  Sometimes  the  man  himself  joins  in, 
and  says  he  does  not  know  but  the  smell  is  as  bad  as  before, 
and  the  change  has  been  of  no  use  ;  so  he  upsets  the  jar  and 
apostatizes." 

When  these  considerations  are  taken  into  account,  the 
tangible  results  which  Mr.  Judson  left  behind  at  his  death 
seem  simply  amazing.  But  these  are  only  a  small  part  of 
what  he  really  accomplished.  Being  dead,  he  yet  speaketh. 
The  Roman  Church  has  preserved  an  old  legend  that  John, 
the  beloved  disciple,  "  did  not  die  at  all,  but  is  only  slum- 
bering, and  moving  the  grave  mound  with  his  breath  until 
the  final  return  of  the  Lord."*  And  in  a  sense  it  is  true 
that  a  great  man  does  not  die  at  all.  You  can  not  bury  a 
saint  so  deep  that  he  will  not  sway  the  lives  of  those  who 
walk  over  his  grave.  The  upheavals  of  society  are  mainly 
due  to  the  breath  of  those  who  have  vanished  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth  and  lie  beneath  its  bosom. 

The  early  actions  of  Mr.  Judson  and  his  fellow-students 
at  Andover  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  This  soci- 
ety, representing  the  Congregationalists  of  this  country, 
may  justly  claim  to  be  the  mother  of  American  foreign 
missionar")^  bodies.     It   was   organized   for  the   support   ot 


■  Schafl's  "  History  of  the  Christian  Church,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  79. 


556  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

certain  young  men  while  they  were  engaged  in  the  work  to 
which  the  Lord  had  called  them.  Societies  do  not  call 
men  into  being,  but  men  create  societies.  The  society  is 
only  a  convenient  vehicle  through  which  the  Christian  at 
home  can  send  bread  to  the  missionary  abroad,  whose  whole 
time  is  devoted  to  feeding  the  heathen  with  the  bread  of 
life. 

'In  the  year  1880,  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions  received  and  expended  over  six  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.  It  is  conducting  successful  mission- 
ary operations  in  Africa,  Turkey,  India,  China,  Japan,  Mi- 
cronesia, Mexico,  Spain,  and  Austria,  as  well  as  in  our  own 
western  land.  In  these  different  countries  it  has  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-two  churches,  over  seventeen  thousand 
church  members,  and  sixteen  hundred  and  eighty-five  mis- 
sionaries, native  pastors,  and  assistants. 

The  change  in  Mr.  Judson's  views  on  the  subject  of  Bap- 
tism led  almost  immediately  to  the  formation  of  a  Baptist 
Missionary  Society,  now  known  as  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union.  In  the  year  1880,  there  passed  through 
the  treasury  of  this  Board  nearly  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  given  by  the  Baptists  of  the  United  States  for  the 
evangelization  of  the  heathen.  This  society  is  at  work  in 
Burmah,  Siam,  India,  China,  Japan,  and  also  in  the  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  and  it  reports  nine  hundred  and  eight  native 
churches,  eighty-five  thousand  three  hundred  and  eight 
church  members,  and  twelve  hundred  and  fourteen  mission- 
aries and  native  preachers. 

A  few  years  after  Mr.  Judson's  departure  from  this  coun- 
try, and  the  organization  of  these  two  societies,  the  Episco- 
palians and  also  the  Methodists  of  America  organized 
themselves  for  the  work  of  foreign  missions.  For  many 
years  the  Presbyterians  joined  hands  with  the  Congrega- 
tionalists,  and  poured  their  contributions  into  the  treasury 
of  the  American  Board.  But  in  1836  they  organized  a  soci- 
ety of  their  own,  now  known  as  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 


POST  ITU  MO  US  INFL  UENCE .  557 

sions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Its  fields  of  operation 
are  Syria,  Persia,  Japan,  China,  Siam,  India,  Africa,  South 
America,  Mexico,  and  the  Indian  tribes,  with  an  annual  ex- 
penditure of  nearly  six  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  sup- 
ports ten  hundred  and  ninety-nine  missionaries  and  lay 
missionaries,  and  reports  fourteen  thousand  five  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  communicants,  with  eighteen  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  scholars  in  the  native  schools. 

All  these  vigorous  Christian  societies  sustained  by  the 
missionary  conviction  of  the  churches  in  America,  with  their 
vast  army  of  missionaries  and  native  communicants  now 
pressing  against  the  systems  of  heathenism  at  a  thousand 
points,  when  they  come  to  tell  the  story  of  their  origin,  do 
not  fail  to  make  mention  of  the  name  of  Adoniram  Judson. 
His  life  formed  a  part  of  the  fountain-head  from  which  flow 
these  beneficent  streams  which  fringe  with  verdure  the 
wastes  of  paganism. 

Not  only  in  this  country  has  Mr.  Judson's  career  of  heroic 
action  and  suffering  stimulated  Christian  activity  among  all 
denominations,  but  his  influence  has  been  an  inspiration 
everywhere.  Just  as  a  steamer  in  its  course  along  a  river 
generates  a  wave  which  will  lash  the  shore  long  after  the 
disturbing  force  has  passed,  so  the  words  and  behavior  of  a 
good  man  will  sometimes  set  in  motion  streams  of  influence 
in  the  most  unlooked-for  places.  How  many  by  his  life 
and  his  labor  have  been  spurred  to  missionary  endeavor  we 
know  not  now,  but  shall  know  hereafter.  But  an  interest- 
ing instance  of  the  wide-reaching  character  of  this  influence 
has  been  preserved  by  Dr.  Wayland.  Mr.  Judson  had  been 
deeply  interested  in  establishing  a  mission  among  the  Jews 
of  Palestine,  but  to  his  great  disappointment  the  enterprise 
proved  a  failure. 

"  It,  however,  pleased  an  all-wise  Providence  to  render  His 
servant  useful  to  the  children  of  Abraham  in  a  manner  which 
he  little  expected.  Two  or  three  days  before  he  embarked 
on  his  last  voyage,  not  a  fortnight  before  his  death,  Mrs. 


558  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

Judson   read    to    him    the    following    paragraph    from    the 
Watchman  and  Reflector  : 

"  '  There  *  we  first  learned  the  interesting  fact,  which  was  mentioned 
by  Mr,  Schauffler,  that  a  tract  had  been  published  in  Germany,  giving 
some  account  of  Dr.  Judson's  labors  at  Ava ;  that  it  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  some  Jews,  and  had  been  the  means  of  their  conversion  ;  that 
it  had  reached  Trebizond,  where  a  Jew  had  translated  it  for  the  Jews  of 
that  place  ;  that  it  had  awakened  a  deep  interest  among  them  ;  that  a 
candid  spirit  of  inquiry  had  been  manifested  ;  and  that  a  request  had 
been  made  for  a  missionary  to  be  sent  to  them  from  Constantinople. 
Such  a  fact  is  full  of  meaning,  a  comment  on  the  word  of  inspiration  : 
"  In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening  withhold  not  thine 
hand  ;  thou  l<;nowest  not  which  shall  prosper,  this  or  that." '  " 

Mrs.  Judson,  in  her  relation  of  these  facts,  continues  : 

"  His  eyes  were  filled  with  tears  when  I  had  done  reading, 
but  still  he  at  first  spoke  playfully,  and  in  a  way  that  a  little 
disappointed  me.  Then  a  look  of  almost  unearth-ly  solemnity 
came  over  him,  and,  clinging  fast  to  my  hand,  as  though  to 
assure  himself  of  being  really  in  the  world,  he  said,  '  Love, 
this  frightens  me.  I  do  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.' 
'  What  ? '  '  Why,  v.^hat  you  have  just  been  reading.  I  never 
was  deeply  interested  in  any  object,  I  never  prayed  sincerely 
and  earnestly  for  anything,  but  it  came  ;  at  some  time — no 
matter  at  how  distant  a  day — somehow,  in  some  shape — 
probably  the  last  I  should  have  devised — it  came.  And  yet 
1  have  always  had  so  little  faith  !  May  God  forgive  me,  and, 
while  He  condescends  to  use  me  as  His  instrument,  wipe  the 
sin  of  unbelief  from  my  heart.' 

"  '  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall 
ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you.'  " 

Indeed  there  are  very  few  of  those  who  have  gone  from 
this  country  as  missionaries  to  the  heathen  who  are  not 
indebted  to  Mr.  Judson  for  methods  and  inspiration.  The 
writer  will  not  soon  forget  a  scene  he  witnessed  at  Saratoga 


*  At  the  house  of  Mr.  Goodell,  in  Constantinople. 


POSTHUMOUS  INFLUENCE. 


559 


in  May,  1880.  The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  was  in  session.  Dr.  Jessup,  an  emhient  missionary 
in  Syria,  then  on  a  visit  to  this  country,  had  been  elected 
moderator.  When  the  session  of  the  Assembly  had  ended, 
he  entered  the  Convention  which  the  Baptists  were  then 
holding  also  in  Saratoga.  As  an  honored  guest  he  was  in- 
vited to  speak.  There  was  a  breathless  silence  through  the 
house  as  the  veteran  missionary  arose,  and  with  inspiring 
words  urged  the  prosecution  of  the  missionary  enterprise. 
He  closed  by  saying  that  when  he  should  arrive  in  heaven, 
the  first  person  whose  hand  he  desired  to  grasp  next  to  the 
Apostle  Paul  would  be  Adoniram  Judson. 

A  life  which  embodies  Christ's  idea  of  complete  self-abne- 
gation can  not  but  become  a  great  object-lesson.  A  man 
can  not  look  into  the  mirror  of  such  a  career  without  be- 
coming at  once  conscious  of  his  own  selfishness  and  of  the 
triviality  of  a  merely  worldly  life.  A  New  York  merchant  in 
his  boyhood  read  Wayland's  "  Life  of  Judson,"  and  laying 
the  book  down  left  his  chamber,  went  out  into  a  green 
meadow  belonging  to  his  father's  farm,  and  consecrated  his 
young  life  to  the  service  of  God.  How  many  unknown 
souls  have  been  attracted  to  Christ  by  the  same  magnetism  ! 
How  many  others  have  been  lifted  out  of  their  self-love ! 
How  many  have  been  drawn  toward  the  serener  heights  of 
Christian  experience  by  the  example  of  him  whose  strong 
aspirings  after  holiness  are  depicted  in  "  The  Threefold 
Cord !  "  *  O  that  some  young  man  might  rise  from  the  read- 
ing of  these  memoirs  and  lay  down  his  life  in  all  its  fresh- 
ness and  strength  upon  the  altar  of  God,  so  that  he  might 
become,  like  Paul  of  old,  a  chosen  vessel  of  Christ  to  bear 
His  name  before  the  Gentiles  and  kings  and  the  children  of 
Israel ! 

The  memory  of  Mr.  Judson's  sufferings  in  Ava  will  never 
cease  to  nerve  missionary  endeavor.  They  appeared  at  the 
time  unnecessary  and  fruitless.     He  himself,  upon  emerging 

*  See  Appendix  C. 


560  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

from  them,  spoke  of  them  as  having  been  "  unavailing  to 
answer  any  valuable  missionary  purpose  unless  so  far  as 
they  may  have  been  silently  blessed  to  our  spiritual  im- 
provement and  capacity  for  future  usefulness."  But  the 
spectacle  of  our  missionary  lying  in  an  Oriental  prison,  his 
ankles  freighted  with  five  pairs  of  irons,  his  heroic  wife 
ministering  to  him  like  an  angel  during  the  long  months  of 
agony,  has  burned  itself  into  the  consciousness  of  Christen- 
dom and  has  made  retreat  from  the  missionary  enterprise 
an  impossibility.  It  is  God's  law  that  progress  should  be 
along  the  line  of  suffering.  The  world's  benefactors  have 
been  its  sufferers.  They  "  have  been  from  time  immemorial 
crucified  and  burned."*  It  seems  to  be  a  divine  law  that 
those  who  bestow  roses  must  feel  thorns.  The  sufferings  of 
Mr.  Judson's  life  were  as  fruitful  of  blessing  as  the  toils. 

The  graves  of  the  sainted  dead  forbid  retreat  from  the 
ramparts  of  heathenism.  It  is  said  that  the  heart  of  the 
Scottish  hero  Bruce  was  embalmed  after  his  death  and  pre- 
served in  a  silver  casket.  When  his  descendants  were  mak- 
ing a  last  desperate  charge  upon  the  serried  columns  of  the 
Saracens,  their  leader  threw  this  sacred  heart  far  out  into 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy.  The  Scots  charged  with  irresistible 
fury  in  order  to  regain  the  relic.  Christianity  will  never 
retreat  from  the  graves  of  its  dead  on  heathen  shores. 
England  is  pressing  into  Africa  with  redoubled  energy  since 
she  saw  placed  on  the  pavement  of  her  own  Westminster 
Abbey  the  marble  tablet  in  memory  of  him  who  was 
"  brought  by  faithful  hands,  over  land  and  sea,  David  Liv- 
ingstone, missionary,  traveller,  philanthropist."  Until  that 
day  shall  come  when  every  knee  shall  bow  and  every  tongue 
confess  the  name  of  Jesus,  Christian  hearts  will  not  cease 
to  draw  inspiration  from  the  memory  of  those  who  found 
their  last  resting-place  under  the  hopia-tree  at  Amherst,  on 
the  rocky  shore  of  St.  Helena,  and  beneath  the  waves  of  the 
Indian  Ocean. 

*  Goethe. 


APPENDIX. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  OF  DATES  AND 
EVENTS. 

BY  A.  JUDSON. 


Adoniram  Judson,  sen.,  was  born 
at  Woodbury,  Conn.,  June,  1752, 
the  youngest  son  of  Elnathan  and 
Mary  Judson,  and  was  married 
Nov.  23,  1786,  to  Abigail  Brown, 
who  was  born  at  Tiverton.  R.  I., 
Dec.  15,  1759,  the  eldest  daughter 
of  Abraham  and  Abigail  Brown. 

17S8,  Aug.  9,  Adoniram  Judson,  jun., 
was  born  at  Maiden,  Mass. 

1791,  March  21,  Abigail  Brown  Jud- 
son was  born  at  Maiden,  Mass. 

I793>  J^n.  10,  the  family  removed  to 
Wenham,  Mass. 

1794,  May  28,  Elnathan  Judson  was 
born  at  Wenham. 

1796,  Feb.  18,  Mary  EUice  Judson 
was  born  at  Wenham. 

1796,  Sept.  12,  Mary  EUice  Judson 
died,  aged  6  months  and  24  days. 

iSoo,  May  22,  the  family  removed- 
to  Braintree,  Mass. 

i3o2,  May  11,  removed  to  Plymouth, 
Mass. 

1S04,  Aug.  17,  A.  J.,  jun.,  entered 
Providence  College,  subsequently 
Brown  University,  one  year  in  ad- 
vance. 

r.6 


1807,  Feb.  23,  closed  a  school  of 
thirty  pupils,  taught  six  weeks  in 
Plymouth. 

1807,  April  30,  received  the  highest 
appointment  in  the  ensuing  com- 
mencement exercises  of  the  class  — 
an  appointment  to  pronounce  the 
last  English  oration,  and  the  va/e- 
dicto7y  addresses. 

1807,  Sept.  2,  received  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts. 

1807,  Sept.  17,  opened  a  private 
academy  in  Plymouth. 

1808,  Feb.  25,  completed  "  The  Ele- 
ments of  English  Grammar." 

1808,  July  28,  completed  "  The  Young 

Lady's  Arithmetic." 
1808,  Aug.  9,  closed  the  "Plymouth 

Independent  Academy." 
1808,    Aug.    15,    set   out   on    a   tour 

through  the  Northern  States. 
1808,  Sept.  22,  returned  to  Plymouth. 
1808,  Sept.  29,  became  an  assistant 

teacher   in    a  private  academy  in 

Boston. 
1808,  Oct.  12,  entered  the  Theolog 

ical  Institution  at  Andover,  Mass, 

one  year  in  advance. 
(561) 


562 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


iSoS,  Nov.,  began  to  entertain  a 
hope  of  having  received  the  regen- 
erating influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

1808,  Dec.  2,  made  a  solemn  dedica- 
tion of  himself  to  God. 

1809,  May  28,  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  religion,  and  joined  the 
Third  Congregational  Church  in 
Plymouth. 

1809,  June,  received  an  appointment 
to  a  tutorship  in  Brown  Univer- 
sity, but  declined  it. 

1809,  Sept,,  read  Buchanan's  "Star 
in  the  East,"  and  began  to  con- 
sider the  subject  of  missions. 

1810,  Feb.,  resolved  on  becoming  a 
missionary  to  the  heathen. 

18 10,  May  17,  received  a  license  to 
preach  from  the  Orange  Associa- 
tion of  Ministers  in  Vermont. 

1810,  June  28,  united  with  Messrs. 
Nott,  Newell,  and  Mills,  in  sub- 
mitting to  the  General  Association 
of  Ministers,  convened  at  Brad- 
ford, Mass.,  a  statement  of  views 
and  desires  on  the  subject  of  mis- 
sions, which  originated  the  Amer- 
ican Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions. 

1810,  July  28,  commenced  an  ac- 
quaintance with  Ann  Hasseltine. 

1810,  Sept.  5,  received  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  from  Brown  Uni- 
versity. 

1810,  Sept.  24,  completed  my  course 
of  study  at  the  Theological  Insti- 
tution. 

811.  Jan.  II,  embarked  at  Boston 
on  the  ship  Packet,  bound  to  Liv- 
erpool, to  visit  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

1811,  Feb.  2,  the  ship  was  taken  by 
the  French  privateer,  V Invincible 
Napoleon,  and  myself,  passengers 


and  crew  transferred    to  the  pri 
vateer. 

181 1,  Feb.  15,  put  in  at  Le  Passage, 
in  Spain. 

1811,  Feb.  23,  was  conveyed  to  Bay- 
pnne,  in  France,  where,  after  a 
short  imprisonment,  I  was  per- 
mitted to  remain  at  large. 

1811,  April  16,  arrived  in  Paris. 

1811,  May  3,  crossed  the  English 
Channel  from  Morlaix  to  Dart- 
mouth. 

iSii,  May  6,  arrived  in  London. 

1811,  May,  June,  visited  the  Mis- 
sionary Seminary  at  Gosport. 

1811,  June  18,  embarked  at  Graves- 
end,  on  the  ship  Augustus,  bound 
to  New  York. 

181 1,  Aug.  7,  arrived  in  New  York. 

1811,  Sept.  19,  was  appointed  by  the 
American  Board  of  Commission- 
ers a  missionary  to  the  East,  in 
company  with  Messrs.  Nott,  New- 
ell, and  Hall 

1812,  Feb.  3,  took  a  final  leave  of 
my  parents  in  Plymouth. 

1812,  Feb.  5,  was  married  to  Ann  Has- 
seltine, born  at  Bradford,  Mass., 
Dec.  22,  1789,  the  youngest  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Rebecca  Hassel- 
tine. 

1812,  Feb.  6,  received  ordination  at 
Salem,  in  company  with  Messrs. 
Nott,  Newell,  Hall,  and  Rice,  from 
the  Rev.  Drs.  Spring,  Worcester, 
Woods,  Morse,  and  Griffin. 

1S12,  Feb.  7,  took  a  final  leave  of  my 
sister  and  brother  in  Boston. 

1812,  Feb.  19,  embarked  at  Salem, 
with  Mrs.  J.  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Newell,  on  the  brig  Caravan,  Capt. 
Heard,  bound  to  Calcutta. 

1812,  June  17,  arrived  in  Calcutta. 

1812,  Aug.  8,  Messrs.  Nott,  Hall,  and 
Rice,  with  Mrs.   Nott,  arrived  in 


APPENDIX. 


the  ship  Harmony,  from  Philadel- 
phia. 

r8i2,  Sept.  I,  announced  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  my 
change  of  sentiment  on  the  subject 
of  baptism. 

1812,  Sept.  6,  was  baptized  in  Calcut- 
ta, with  Mrs.  J.,  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Ward. 

1812,  Nov.  I,  Mr.  Rice,  on  a  similar 
^    change  of  sentiment,  received  bap- 
tism. 

j8i2,  Nov.  30,  fled  from  the  arrest  of 
the  East  India  Company's  govern- 
ment, and  embarked  privately  with 
Mrs.  J.  and  Mr.  Rice,  on  the  ship 
Belle  O-eole,  bound  to  Port  Louis, 
Isle  of  France. 

1813,  Jan.  17,  arrived  in  Port  Louis. 
1813,  March  15,  Mr.  Rice  took  pas- 
sage for  America. 

1813,  April  I,  completed  the  sermon 

on  "Christian  Baptism." 
1813,  May  7,  embarked  at  Port  Louis 

with  Mrs.  J.  on  the  ship  Cotmtess 

of  HarcoHi't,  bound  to  Madras. 
1813,  June  4,  arrived  in  Madras. 
1813,  June  22,  embarked  with  Mrs. 

J.  on  the  ship  Geo7-giana,  bound  to 

Rangoon,  in  Burmah. 

1813,  July  13,  arrived  in  Rangoon, 
and  joined  the  mission  conducted 
by  Felix  Carey. 

1 8 14,  Aug.  20,  Mr.  Carey  and  family 
removed  to  Ava,  and  soon  after 
seceded  from  the  mission. 

1815,  Jan,  25,  Mrs.  J.  embarked  for 
Madras,  to  obtain  medical  advice. 

1815,  April  13,  returned  with  Emily 
Vansomeren,  to  be  brought  up  in 
the  family. 

181 5,  Sept.  5,  received  information 
of  the  establishment  of  the  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions   in    March,    1814,   and  their 


563 

appointment  of  me  their  mission- 
ary. 

1815,  Sept.  II,  Roger  Williams  Jud- 
son  was  born  in  Rangoon. 

1816,  May  4,  Roger  Williams  Judson 
died,  aged  7  months  and  23  days. 

1816,  July  13,  completed  "  Grammati- 
cal Notices  of  the  Burman  Lan- 
guage." 

1816,  July  20,  completed  Tract  No.  i 
in  Burman,  being  a  view  of  the 
Christian  Religion,  in  three  parts, 
Historical,  Didactic,  Preceptive. 

1816,  Oct.  15.  Mr.  Hough  and  family 
arrived  and  joined  the  mission. 

1817,  May  20,  completed  a  Burman 
translation  of  the  Gospel  of  Mat- 
thew. 

1S17,   May  22,  began    to  compile    a 

Burman  dictionary. 
1817.  Aug.,  wrote  "A  Letter  to  the 

3d  Church  in  Plymouth,  Mass. ,"  on 

the  subject  of  baptism. 

1817,  Dec.  24,  embarked  at  Rangoon, 
on  the  ship  Two  Brothers,  bound  to 
Chittagong. 

1818,  Jan.  26,  the  ship's  destination 
was  changed  from  Chittagong  tc 
Madras. 

1818,   March   18,    landed  at   Masuli- 

patam. 
1818,  April  8,  arrived  in  Madras  by 

land— distance  300  miles. 
1818,  July  20,  left  Madras. 
1818,  Aug.  4,  arrived  in  Rangoon. 
1818,  Sept.  19,  Messrs.  Colman  and 

Wheelock  and  wives  arrived  and 

joined  the  mission. 

1818,  Nov.  I,  Mr.  Hough  and  family 
departed  from  Bengal. 

1819,  April  4,  commenced  public 
worship  in  the  Burman  language. 

1819,  April  25,  commenced  occupy- 
ing a  public  zayat. 
1 8 19,  May,  wrote  "  A  Letter  Relative 


5^4 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


to  the  Formal  and  Solemn  Repri- 
mand." 

1819,  June  27,  baptized  Moung  Nau, 
the  first  Burman  convert. 

i8ig,  July  29,  completed  a  revision 
and  enlargement  of  Tract  No.  i, 
and  a  revision  of  Tract  No.  2,  be- 
ing a  Catechism  in  Burman  by 
Mrs.  J. 

i8ig,  August  7,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whee- 
lock  departed  for  Bengal. 

1S19,  Nov.  30,  completed  a  revision 
of  the  sermon  on  Christian  Bap- 
tism, for  fourth  edition. 

1519,  Dec.  21,  left  Rangoon  on  a  visit 
to  Ava,  in  company  with  Mr.  Col- 
man. 

1520,  January  27,  appeared  before 
the  king,  and  was  refused  liberty 
to  propagate  religion  in  his  domin- 
ions. 

1820,  Feb.  18,  returned  to  Rangoon. 
1820,  March  27,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Col- 
man  embarked  for  Arracan. 

1820.  July  18,  baptized  the  tenth  Bur- 
man convert. 

1820,  July  ig,  embarked  with  Mrs. 
J.  for  Calcutta. 

1820,  Aug.  18,  arrived  in  Calcutta. 

1820,  Nov.  23,  embarked  with  Mrs. 
J.  for  Rangoon. 

1821,  Jan.  5,  arrived  in  Rangoon. 
1821,   Aug.   21,  Mrs.   J.   and   Emily 

embarked   for    Bengal,    and    ulti- 
mately America. 

1821,  Dec.  13,  Dr.  Price  and  family 
arrived  and  joined  the  mission. 

1822,  Jan.  20,  Mr.  Hough  and  family 
returned. 

1822,  May  2,  Mrs.  Price  died. 

1822,  Aug.  21,  baptized  the  eight- 
eenth Burman  convert. 

1822,  Aug.  28,  left  Rangoon  on  a 
visit  to  Ava,  in  company  with  Dr. 
Price. 


1822,  Sept.  27,  arrived  in  Ava. 

1823,  Feb.  2,  returned  to  Rangoon. 

1823,  July  12,  completed  the  transla- 
tion of  the  New  Testament  in  Bur- 
mese, together  with  an  epitome  of 
the  Old. 

1823,  Dec.  5,  Mrs.  J.  returned  to 
Rangoon. 

1823,  Dec.  13,  left  Rangoon  for  Ava, 
in  company  with  Mrs.  J. 

1824,  Jan.  23,  arrived  in  Ava. 

1824,  June  8,  was  fettered  and  im- 
prisoned by  the  king's  order,  in 
consequence  of  war  with  Bengal. 

1825,  Jan.  26,  Maria  Elizabeth  But- 
terworth  Judson  was  born  in  Ava. 

1825,  May  2,  was  removed  from  the 
king's  prison  in  Ava  to  the  prison 
in  Oung-pen-la,  a  few  miles  distant. 

1825,  Nov.  5,  was  taken  out  of  irons 
and  reconducted  to  Ava. 

1825,  Nov.  7,  was  sent  under  guard 
to  Maloon,  the  headquarters  of  the 
Burmese  army,  to  act  as  inter- 
preter. 

1825,  Dec.  17,  was  'sent  away  from 
Maloon,  in  consequence  of  the  ad- 
vance of  the  British  army  from 
Prome. 

1825,  Dec.  2g,  reached  Ava  and  was 
recommitted  to  prison. 

1825,  Dec.  30,  was  released  from 
prison  and  put  under  charge  of 
the  North  Commandant  of  the 
palace. 

1826,  Feb.  21,  left  Ava,  with  Mrs.  J. 
and  Maria,  for  the  British  camp  at 
Yantabo. 

1826,  Feb.  24,  the  treaty  of  peace 
was  signed  by  the  British  and  Bur- 
man Commissioners. 

1826,  March  6,  left  Yantabo  for  Ran- 
goon on  the  Irraivaddy  gun-boat. 

1826,  March  21,  arrived  in  Rangoon. 

1826,  March  31,  left  Rangoon,  on  a 


visit  to  Martaban,  with  the  Civil 

Commissioner,  Mr.  Crawford. 
1826,  April  6,  landed  at  Hyaikamee, 

where  the  Commissioner  selected 

the  site  of  a  new  town  to  be  called 

Amherst. 
T826,  April  10,  arrived  in  Rangoon 

from  Amherst. 
1826,  June  29,  embarked  with  Mrs. 

J.    and    family    on    the    Phcenix, 

bound  to  Amherst. 
1826,  July  2,  arrived  in  Amherst. 
1826,  July  5,  left  Mrs.  J.  and  family 

at  Amherst,  and  re-embarked  on 

the  PImnix  for  Rangoon. 
1826,  July  9,  arrived  in  Rangoon. 
1826,  Sept.  I,  left  Rangoon  for  Ava 

with  the  Envoy,  Mr.  Crawford. 
1826,  Sept.  30,  arrived  in  Ava. 
1826,  Oct.  23,  the  Embassy  removed 

to  Chagaing. 
1S26,    Nov.    24,   heard   the    news   of 

Mrs.  J.'s  death  at  Amherst,  Oct. 

24,  1826,  in  the  37th  year  of  her 

age. 

1826,  Dec.  12,  left  Chagaing  on  re- 
turn to  Rangoon  and  Amherst. 

1827,  Jan.  24,  arrived  in  Amherst, 
and  joined  the  family  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wade,  who  arrived  Nov.  23, 
1826. 

1827,  April  17,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Board- 
man  arrived  in  Amherst. 

1827,  April  24,  Maria  died  at  Am- 
herst, aged  2  years  and  3  months. 

1827,  May  28,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Board- 
man  removed  to  Maulmain.         « 

1827,  July  II,  heard  of  the  death  of 
my  father.  Rev.  Adoniram  Judson, 
sen.,  at  Scituate,  Mass.,  Nov.  25, 
1826,  in  the  75th  year  of  his  age. 

1827,  August  10  and  11,  left  Amherst 
and  joined  the  Boardmans  at  Maul- 
main. 

1827,  Nov.   14,  Mr.   and   Mrs.  Wade 


APPENDIX.  56; 


also  and  the  native  Christians  re- 
moved to  Maulmain. 

1827,  Dec.  28,  finished  translating 
thirty  psalms,  begun  July  16. 

1828,  Jan.  II,  commenced  occupying 
a  public  zayat  in  Maulmain. 

1828,  March  29,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Board- 
man  removed  to  Tavoy. 

1828,  May  9,  renounced  the  title  of 
D.D.,  conferred  on  me  by  the 
corporation  of  Brown  University, 
Sept.,  1823. 

1828,  May  2g,  gave  away  my  private 
property  to  the  Board. 

1828,  Oct.  2-1,  removed  to  the  Her- 
mitage 

1829,  Feb.,  wrote  "The  Threefold 
Cord  "  in  English. 

1829,  March,  wrote  "The  Golden 
Balance,"  Tract  No.  3,  in  Bur- 
mese. 

1829,  Nov.  14,  finished  revising  the 
New  Testament,  the  epitome  of 
the  Old,  and  the  Septenary,  or 
Seven  Manuals,  in  Burmese. 

1829,  Dec.  15,  heard  of  the  death  of 
my  brother.  Dr.  Elnathan  Judson, 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  May  8,  1829, 
aged  35  years. 

1830,  Jan.  14,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett 
arrived  in  Maulmain. 

1830,   Feb.  21,   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade 

removed  to  Rangoon. 
1830,  April  26,  left  Maulmain. 
1830,  May  2,  arrived  in  Rangoon. 
1830,  June  II,  arrived  in  Prome. 

1830,  Sept.  25,  returned  to  Rangoon. 

1831,  July  19,  finished  the  translation 
of  Genesis,  twenty  chapters  of  Ex- 
odus, Psalms,  Solomon's  Song, 
Isaiah  and  Daniel. 

1831,  July  31,  arrived  in  Maulmain 
from  Rangoon. 

1831,  Oct.,  wrote  the  Letter  on  Fe- 
male Dress. 


566 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSCN. 


1832,  May  21,  retired  to  the  rooms 
adjoining  the  native  chapel,  with 
a  view  to  prosecuting  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Old  Testament. 

X832,  Nov.  27,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade 
sailed  for  America. 

1832,  Dec.  15,  sent  to  press  the  last 
sheet  of  the  New  Testament  in 
Burmese. 

1833,  Jan.  I,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hancock 
and  others  arrived  from  America. 

1833,  Sept.  8,  baptized  the  one  hun- 
dredth Karen  convert  north  of 
Maulmain,  the  first  fourteen  of 
whom  were  baptized  by  Mr. 
Wade. 

1834,  Jan.  31,  finished  the  translation 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

1834,  April  1,  left  Maulmain  for 
Tavoy. 

1834,  April  10,  was  married  to  Mrs. 
Sarah  H.  Boardman,  who  was  born 
at  Alstead,  N.  H.,  Nov.  4,  1803, 
the  eldest  daughter  of  Ralph  and 
Abiah  O.  Hall ;  married  to  George 
D.  Boardman,  July  4,  1825,  left  a 
widow  Feb.  11,  1831,  with  one 
surviving  child,  George  D.  Board- 
man,  born  Aug.  18,  1828. 

1834,  April  i&,  arrived  in  Maulmain 
from  Tavoy. 

1834,  Dec.  7,  the  Cashmere  arrived 
from  America,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wade,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osgood,  and 
several  other  new  missionaries. 

1534,  Dec.  13,  George  D.  Boardman 
embarked  on  the  Cashmere  for 
America. 

1535,  Jan.  4,  the  Wades  removed 
from  Maulmain  to  Tavoy. 

1835,  Sept.  26,  finished  the  revision 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

1835,    Oct.    31,    Abby   Ann    Judson 

was  born  in  Maulmain. 
1835,  Nov.  29,  baptized  the  one  hun- 


dredth   member    of    the    Burman 
Church  in  Maulmain. 

1835,  Dec.  29,  sent  to  press  the  last 
sheet  of  the  Old  Testament. 

1S36,  Feb.  21,  the  Louvre  arrived 
from  America  with  Mr.  Malcom, 
agent  of  the  Board,  and  several 
new  missionaries. 

1836,  May  23,  moved  into  the  new 
chapel. 

1S36,  Nov.,  visited  the  Tavoy  station 
in  company  with  Mrs.  J.  and  Mrs. 
Vinton. 

1837,  Jan.  31,  finished  a  new  revision 
of  the  New  Testament. 

1837,  March  22,  sent  to  press  the  last 
sheet  of  the  revised  New  Testa- 
ment. 

1837,  April  7,  Adoniram  Brown  Jud- 
son was  born  in  Maulmain. 

1837,  April  30,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard 
arrived  from  Rangoon,  and  joined 
the  Maulmain  station. 

1837,  Nov.  18,  finished  "A  Digest  of 
Scripture,"  in  Burmese. 

1837,  Nov.  27,  the  Hancocks  removed 
from  Maulmain  to  Mergui. 

1838,  Feb.  19,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens 
arrived  from  America,  and  joined 
the  Maulmain  station. 

1S38,  July  15,  Elnathan  Judson  was 
born  in  Maulmain. 

1839,  Feb.  19,  embarked  for  Ca;lcutta. 
1839,  March  9,  arrived  in  Calcutta. 
1839,  March  30,  embarked  for  Maul- 
main. 

1839,  April  13,  arrived  in  Maulmain. 
1839,  Oct.  27,  began  to  preach  in  the 

native  chapel,  after  an  interval  of 

ten  months. 

1839,  Dec.  31,  Henry  Judson  was 
born  in  Maulmain. 

1840,  Oct.  24,  finished  the  revision 
of  the  quarto  editic^  of  the  Bur- 
mese  Bible. 


1841,  March  8,  Luther  Judson  was 
still-born. 

1841,  June  26,  embarked  with  Mrs.  J. 
and  family  for  Bengal,  on  account 
of  their  health. 

1841,  July  II,  arrived  in  Bengal. 

1841,  July  30,  Henry  Judson  died  at 
Serampore,  aged  i  year,  27  months. 

1841,  Aug.  16,  embarked  with  my 
family  on  the  Ramsay,  Capt.  Ham- 
lin, bound  to  the  Isle  of  France. 

1841,  Oct.  I,  arrived  at  Port  Louis. 

1841,  Nov.  I,  re-embarked  on  the 
Ramsay  for  Maulmain. 

1841,  Dec.  10,  arrived  in  Maulmain. 

1842,  Feb.  21,  moved  into  the  new 
house. 

1842,  July  8,  Henry  Hall  Judson  was 
born  in  Maulmain. 

1842,  Aug.  29,  heard  of  the  death  of 
my  mother  at  Plymouth,  Mass., 
Jan.  31,  1842,  in  the  eighty-third 
year  of  her  age. 

1843,  Dec.  18,  Charles  Judson  was 
born  in  Maulmain. 

1844,  Dec.  27,  Edward  Judson  was 
born  in  Maulmain. 

1845,  Feb.  15,  Mrs.  J.  left  Maulmain 
on  a  voyage  down  the  coast,  for 
the  benefit  of  her  health. 

1845,  April  3,  Mrs.  Judson  returned. 

1845,  April  26,  embarked  with  Mrs. 
J.  and  the  three  elder  children  on 
the  Paragon,  bound  to  London. 

1845,  May  3,  sailed  from  Amherst. 

1845,  July  5,  arrived  from  Port  Louis 
in  the  Isle  of  France. 

1845,  July  23,  embarked  on  the  So- 
phia Walker,  Capt.  Codman,  bound 
to  the  United  States. 

1845,  July  25,  sailed  from  Port  Louis. 

1845,  Aug.  26,  arrived  at  St.  Helena. 

1S45.  Sept.  I,  Mrs.  J.  died  at  3  a.m., 
was  buried  at  6  p.m.,  and  we  sailed 
from  St.  Helena  in  the  evening. 


APPENDIX.  567 

1845,  Oct.  15,  arrived  in  Boston. 

1845,  Nov.  13,  parted  with  my  chil- 
dren, leaving  Adoniram  and  Eliia- 
than  at  Worcester,  and  sending 
Abby  Ann  to  Plymouth. 

1845,  Nov.  28.  heard  of  the  death  (j( 
little  Charlie  at  Maulmain,  Aug- 
ust 5,  1845,  aged  I  year  and  7i 
months. 

1846,  Jan.  5,  commenced  an  acquaint- 
ance with  Emily  Chubbuck. 

1846,  April  6,  removed  Abby  Ann 
from  Plymouth  to  Bradford. 

1846,  June  2,  was  married  at  Hamil- 
ton, N.  Y.,  to  Emily  Chubbuck, 
born  at  Eaton,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  22, 
1817,  the  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Lavinia  Chubbuck. 

1846,  July  4,  took  leave  of  Adoniram 
and  Elnathan  at  Worcester. 

1846,  July  9,  took  leave  of  Abby  .■\rin 
at  Bradford. 

1846,  July  II,  tcok  leave  of  George 
D.  Boardman,  the  Lincoln  families, 
the  Colhys,  the  Gillettes,  Anne 
Maria  Anable,  and  numberless 
other  friends,  and  embarked  v/ith 
Mrs.  Judson,  Miss  Lillybridgc,  the 
Beechers,  and  the  Harrises,  on  tlje 
ship  Faiieuil  Hall,  Capt.  Hallet, 
bound  to  Maulmain, 

1846,  Nov.  30,  arrived  in  Maulmain. 

1847,  Feb.  15,  embarked  with  my 
family  for  Rangoon. 

1847,  June  I,  Mrs.  J.  finished  the 
memoir  of  the  late  Mrs.  J. 

1847,  Aug.  31,  re-embarked  for  Maul- 
main. 

1847,  Sept.  5,  arrived  in  Maulmain. 

1847,  Dec.  24,  Emily  Frances  Judson 
was  born  in  Maulmain. 

1848,  Feb.  25,  removed  into  the  old 
house. 

1849,  Jan.  24,  finished  the  English 
and  Burmese  dictionary. 


568  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR  AM  JUDSOM, 

B. 

MR.  JUDSON'S   FIRST    TRACT    FOR   THE    BURMANS. 

There  is  one  Being  who  exists  eternally ;  who  is  exempt  from  sickness, 
old  age,  and  death ;  who  was,  and  is,  and  will  be,  without  beginning, 
and  without  end.  Besides  this,  the  true  God,  there  is  no  other  God, 
The  true  God  is  diverse  from  all  other  beings.  Uniting  three  in  one, 
God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  these  three  are 
one  God.  God  is  a  spirit,  without  bodily  form.  Although  omnipresent, 
it  is  above  the  heavens  that  he  clearly  discovers  his  glory.  His  power 
aiid  wisdom  are  infinite.  He  is  pure  and  good,  and  possessed  of  ever- 
lasting felicity.  Before  this  world  was  made,  God  remained  happy,  sur- 
rounded by  the  pure  and  incorporeal  sons  of  heaven.  In  order  to  dis- 
play his  perfections,  and  make  creatures  happv,  God  created  the  heav- 
ens, the  sun,  moon,  and  all  the  stars,  the  earth,  the  various  kinds  of 
brute  creatures,  and  man.  The  first  man  and  woman,  at  their  original 
creation,  were  not  liable  to  sickness  or  death  ;  they  w^ere  exempt  from 
every  kind  of  evil,  and  their  mind  was  upright  and  pure.  Afterwards, 
because,  by  violating  the  command  of  God,  they  transgressed  against 
their  Benefactor,  the  sum  of  all  perfections,  beyond  compare,  the  light  of 
the  divine  countenance  disappeared,  and  those  two,  together  with  all 
their  posterity,  became  darkened,  and  unclean,  and  wicked  ;  they  became 
subject,  in  the  present  state,  to  sickness,  death,  and  all  other  evils  ;  and 
they  became  deserving  of  suffering,  in  the  future  state,  the  dreadful  pun- 
ishment of  hell.  Above  four  thousand  years  after  mankind  was  thus 
destroyed,  God,  being  moved  with  compassion  for  man  involved  in  mis- 
ery, sent  to  the  earth,  th"  abode  of  man,  God  the  Son,  the  second  yad- 
ana  among  the  three  yadanas  [anything  superlatively  excellent — in  the 
present  application  it  conveys  no  additional  idea,  but  is  requisite  in 
Burman  to  the  intelligibility  of  the  sentence].  The  circumstances  of  his 
being  sent  were  thus : — God  the  Son,  uniting  the  divine  and  the  human 
natures,  without  destroying  or  confounding  them,  in  the  land  of  Israel, 
and  country  of  Judea,  in  the  womb  of  a  virgin,  was  conceived  by  the  di- 
vine power,  and  was  born.  This  God-man,  who  is  named  Jesus  Christ, 
being  man,  endured  in  our  stead  severe  sufferings  and  death,  the  pun- 
ishment due  to  our  sins ;  and  being  God,  is  able  by  virtue  of  having  en- 
dured those  sufferings,  to  deliver  all  his  disciples  from  the  punishment  ol 
hell,  redeeming  them  with  his  own  life,  and  to  instate  them  in  heaven. 
On  the  third  day  after  Jesus  Christ  suffered  death,  his  soul  re-entered 
his  body,  and  he  lived  again.  For  the  space  of  forty  days  he  remained, 
giving  instruction   to  his  disciples,  after  which  he  commissioned  them 


APPENDIX.  569 

thus — "  Go  ye  into  all  countries  on  earth,  and  proclaim  the  glad  news  to 
all  men.  He  that  believeth  in  me,  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved  ;  he 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned,  or  shall  suffer  endless  punishment  in 
hell."  Then,  in  the  presence  of  many  of  his  disciples,  he  ascended  to 
heaven,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  place  where  God  displays  his  glo- 
ry. According  to  the  final  command  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  disciples,  begin- 
ning with  Judea,  travelled  about  through  various  countries  and  kingdoms, 
and  proclaimed  the  glad  news  ;  and  many  believed,  and  became  disci- 
ples of  Jesus  Christ.  The  true  religion  afterwards  spread  into  the  coun- 
tries of  the  west ;  and  now  to  this  country  of  Burmah,  among  the  coun- 
tries of  the  east,  a  teacher  of  religion,  from  the  country  of  America,  has 
arrived,  and  is  beginning  to  proclaim  the  glad  news.  About  one  or  two. 
hundred  years  hence  the  religion  of  Boodh,  of  Brahma,  of  Mahomet,  and 
of  Rome,  together  with  all  other  false  religions,  will  disappear  and  be 
lost,  and  the  religion  of  Christ  will  pervade  the  whole  world  ;  all  quar- 
rels and  wars  will  cease,  and  all  the  tribes  of  man  will  be  like  a  band  of 
mutually  loving  brothers.     \^End  of  Part  i.] 

A  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ  is  one  that  is  born  again;  the  meaning  of 
which  is,  that  the  old  nature,  which  is  successively  inherited  from  the 
first  man  and  woman,  begins  to  be  destroyed,  and  the  new  nature,  which 
is  implanted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  obtained.  The  unrenewed  man  loves- 
himself  supremely,  and  seeks  his  own  private  interest.  The  renewed 
man  loves  the  true  God  supremely,  and  desires  that  the  divine  glory  may 
be  promoted.  He  loves  all  others,  also,  as  himself,  and  seeks  their  inter- 
est as  his  own.  The  desire  of  the  unrenewed  man  is  to  enjoy  sensual 
pleasure,  worldly  wealth,  fame,  and  power.  The  renewed  man  contemns 
sensual  pleasure,  etc.  His  desire  is  to  be  pure  in  mind,  to  be  replete, 
with  grace,  to  be  useful  to  others,  to  promote  the  glory  of  God,  and  to 
enjoy  the  pure  and  perpetual  happiness  of  heaven.  The  unrenewed  man, 
influenced  by  pride,  hates  the  humbling  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  When 
seized  with  alarm,  he  endeavors  to  perform  meritorious  deeds  in  order 
to  make  atonement  for  his  sins,  and  obtain  salvation.  The  renewed 
man,  knowing  surely  that  man,  having  sinned  against  God,  and  con- 
tracted great  guilt,  can  not  perform  meritorious  deeds,  firmly  fixes  in  his 
mind  that  it  is  on  account  of  the  God-man,  Jesus  Christ  alone,  that  sin 
can  be  expiated,  and  the  happiness  of  heaven  obtained ;  and  therefore, 
through  supreme  love  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  a  desire  to  do  his  will,  en- 
deavors to  avoid  evil  deeds,  and  to  perform  good  deeds  only,  according 
to  the  divine  commands.  Sometimes,  when  through  the  assaults  of  the 
remaining  old  nature  he  slides  and  transgresses  the  divine  commands, 
he  repents  that  he  has  sinned  against  his  superlatively  excellent  and 
lovely  Lord,  and,  trusting  only  in  the  death  of  Christ,  he  humbly  con- 


570  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

fesses  the  sin  he  has  committed,  and  begs  pardon  of  God.  He  who  is 
unrenewed,  and  therefore  is  not  a  disciple  of  Christ,  in  the  present  life 
obtains  no  true  wisdom  ;  his  sins  are  numerous  and  heavy.  And  be- 
cause he  has  no  regard  to  the  Lord,  who  can  deliver  from  sin,  he  will,  in 
the  present  life,  obtain  no  refuge  or  resting  place ;  but  soul  and  body 
will  fall  into  hell,  as  his  sins  deserve ;  and  having  transgressed  against 
an  eternal  God,  he  must  accordingly  forever  suffer  eternal  miser)'.  He 
who  is  renewed  and  becomes  a  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  present 
life,  is  acquainted  with  true  wisdom,  and  attains  the  state  of  a  Thautah- 
i>aft  [one  that  has  acquired  a  new  and  excellent  nature,  which  will  issue 
in  final  salvation].  And  when  he  changes  worlds,  his  soul  having  ob- 
tained the  pardon  of  sin  through  the  death  of  Christ,  will,  through  the 
grace  of  God,  enter  into  the  divine  presence.  The  body,  also,  though  it 
be  burnt  with  fire,  or  consumed  in  the  earth,  and  thus  destroyed  for  a 
time,  will,  at  the  end  of  the  world,  by  the  power  of  God,  with  whom 
nothing  is  impossible,  live  again  ;  and  thus,  soul  and  body  united,  will 
forever  enjoy  eternal  happiness  in  the  presence  of  God.  \^End  of  Part  2.] 
The  commands  of  Jesus  Christ  are  as  follow  : — Repent,  or  be  changed 
in  mind  ;  that  is,  extirpate  the  old  nature,  and  cultivate  the  new.  Have 
faith  in  the  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Love  God  supremely.  Love 
others  as  yourself.  Set  not  your  heart  on  worldly  goods  and  riches  ;  but 
look  forward  to,  and  long  for,  those  riches  which  are  free  from  defile- 
ment, and  eternal  in  the  heavens.  Suppress  haughtiness,  pride,  and  in- 
solence, and  cherish  an  humble,  meek,  and  lowly  mind.  Return  not  evil 
for  evil,  but  have  a  disposition  to  forgive  the  faults  of  others,  and  to  bear 
injury  with  patience.  Love  your  enemies,  and  pray  for  them.  Be  com- 
passionate to  the  poor  and  needy,  and  give  alms.  Covet  not  the  prop- 
erty of  others;  therefore,  take  not  by  violence;  steal  not;  defraud  not 
in  trade ;  trespass  in  no  manner  on  the  property  of  others.  Speak  no 
falsehood.  Bear  not  false  witness.  Without  being  invested  with  gov- 
ernmental authority,  take  not  the  life  of  man.  Drink  not  intoxicating 
liquor  to  excess.  Despise  not  marriage,  whether  of  a  teacher  of  religion, 
a  ruler,  or  a  private  person.  Beside  your  own  husband  or  wife,  have 
no  desire  for  any  other  man  or  woman.  Honor  parents,  and  wiUingly 
assist  and  support  them,  according  to  your  ability.  Listen  reverently  to 
the  instructions  of  religious  teachers,  and  make  offerings  for  their  sup- 
port. In  regard  to  rulers,  whether  disciples  of  Christ  or  not,  honor  them, 
pay  them  tribute,  pray  for  them,  and  obey  their  lawful  commands.  Pray 
to  God  always.  On  the  first  day  in  seven,  assemble  to  worship  God, 
and  hear  his  word.  On  becoming  a  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ,  receive 
baptism  in  water.  Afterwards,  in  memory  of  his  flesh  and  blood,  which 
he  gave  for  the  sake  of  his  disciples,  reverently,  from  time  to  time,  eat 


APPENDIX. 


571 


bread  and  drink  wine.  Use  all  dilig'ence  that  your  relations,  and  neigh- 
bors, and  countrymen,  who  are  not  disciples  of  Christ,  may  he  converted. 
With  a  compassionate  mind,  use  all  diligence  that  the  inhabitants  of 
towns,  and  countries,  and  kingdoms,  that  are  in  darkness,  not  having 
obtained  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  may  become  disci- 
])les  of  Christ.  The  above  are  commands  of  Jesus  Christ.  \^End  of 
Part  3.] 

The  teacher  who  composed  this  writing,  seeing  the  great  evil  which 
is  coming  on  the  Burmans,  left  his  own  country  from  compassion,  and 
from  an  immense  distance  has  arrived,  by  ship,  to  this,  the  country  of 
Burmah.  He  desires  neither  fame  nor  riches.  Offerings  and  gifts  he 
seeks  not.  The  disciples  of  Christ  in  his  own  country,  moved  with  com- 
passion for  the  Burmans,  make  offerings  sufficient  for  his  use.  He  has 
no  other  motive  but  this  :  Being  a  disciple  of  Christ,  and  therefore  seek- 
ing the  good  of  others  as  his  own,  he  has  come,  and  is  laboring  that  the 
Burmans  may  be  saved  from  the  dreadful  punishment  of  hell,  and  enjoy 
the  happiness  of  heaven. 

In  the  year  of  Christ,  1816;  in  the  Burman  year,  1178;  in  the  967th 
day  of  the  lord  of  the  Saddan  elephant,  and  master  of  the  Sakyah  weap- 
on; and  in  the  33d  year  of  his  reign  ;  in  the  division  Pashoo  ;  on  Tues- 
day, the  I2th  day  of  the  wane  of  the  moon  Wahgoung,  after  the  double 
beat,  this  writing,  entitled,  The  Way  to  Heaveti,  was  finished.  May 
the  reader  obtain  light.    Amen. 


c. 

THE  THREEFOLD  CORD. 

ECCLES.  iv.  12. 

Written  by  a  Missionary  in  Bicrmah, 

You  hope,  my  dear  brother,  that  you  have  repented  of  sin,  and  put 
your  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  You  now  desire,  above  all  things, 
to  grow  in  grace,  and  attain  the  perfect  love  and  enjoyment  of  God.  But 
you  find  yourself  perplexed  about  the  way,  amidst  the  various  directions 
of  various  classes  of  the  Ciiristian-  world  ;  and  you  ask  for  a  short  man- 
ual of  advice,  plain  to  the  understanding  and  convincing  to  the  heart.  I 
present  you,  therefore,  with  the  threefold  cord.  Lay  hold  of  it  with  the 
hand  of  faith,  and  be  assured  that  it  will  draw  thy  soul  to  God  and  to 
heaven. 


572  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

The  first  is  the  cord  of  Secret  Prayer.  Without  this  the  others  have 
no  strength.  Secret  prayer  is  commonly  considered  a  duty  which  must 
be  performed  every  morning  and  evening,  in  order  to  keep  a  conscience 
void  of  offence.  But  do  not,  my  dear  brother,  entertain  an  opinion  so 
defective.  Consider  secret  prayer  as  one  of  the  three  great  works  of  thy 
life.  Arrange  thy  affairs,  if  possible,  so  that  thou  canst  leisurely  devoie 
two  or  three  hours  every  day,  not  merely  to  devotional  exercises,  but  to 
the  very  act  of  secret  prayer  and  communion  with  God.  Endeavor,  sev- 
en times  a  day,  to  withdraw  from  business  and  company,  and  lift  up  thy 
soul  to  God  in  private  retirement.  Begin  the  day  by  rising  after  mid- 
night, and  devoting  some  time,  amid  the  silence  and  darkness  of  the 
night,  to  this  sacred  work.  Let  the  hour  of  opening  dawn  find  thee  at 
the  same  work  ;  let  the  hours  of  nine,  twelve,  three,  six,  and  nine  at 
night  witness  the  same.  Be  resolute  in  this  course.  Make  all  practica- 
ble sacrifices  to  maintain  it.  Consider  that  thy  time  is  short,  and  that 
business  and  company  must  not  be  allowed  to  rob  thee  of  thy  God.  At 
least,  remember  the  morning,  noon,  and  night  seasons,  and  the  season 
after  midnight,  if  not  detrimental  to  thy  health. 

Dost  thou  ask  how  to  pray  }  There  is  One  who  is  able  and  willing  to 
teach  thee.  Whenever  thou  intendest  to  pray,  draw  towards  Calvary  ; 
kneel  at  the  foot  of  the  mount  ;  lift  up  thine  eyes,  tremblingly  and  in 
tears,  to  thine  incarnate  God  and  Saviour  dying  on  the  cross ;  confess 
that  thou  art  the  guilty  cause ;  implore  his  forgiveness  ;  and,  believe 
me,  my  dear  brother,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will  quickly  come  and  teach 
thee  how  to  pray. 

The  second  is  the  cord  of  Self-denial — rough,  indeed,  to  the  hand  of 
sense,  and  so  abused  in  the  Roman  Catholic  church  that  Protestants 
have  become  afraid  of  it,  and  thrown  it  away.  But  lay  hold,  my  broth- 
er, with  the  hand  of  faith.  It  is  one  of  the  three ;  and  without  it  the 
other  two,  although  they  may  do  some  service,  will  not  have  firmixess 
and  consistency. 

It  is  an  acknowledged  principle,  that  every  faculty  of  the  body  and 
mind  is  strengthened  and  improved  by  use,  weakened  and  impaired  by 
disuse.  It  is  needless  to  produce  proofs  or  illustrations  ;  they  are  to  be 
met  with  in  every  day's  experience.  Self-love,  or  the  desire  of  self-grat- 
ification in  the  enjoyment  of  the  riches,  the  honors,  and  the  pleasures  of 
this  world,  is  the  ruling  principle  of  lallen  man.  In  the  new-born  soul 
this  principle,  though  wounded  to  death,  still  lives  And  the  more  it  is 
indulged,  the  stronger  it  becomes.     But 


'  The  love  of  God  flows  just  as  much 
As  that  of  ebbing:  self  subsides  ; 


APPENDIX.  573 

Our  hearts,  their  scantiness  is  such, 

Can  not  sustain  two  rival  tides. 
Both  can  not  govern  in  one  soul ; 

Then  let  self-love  be  dispossessed 
The  love  of  God  deserves  the  whole, 

Nor  will  she  dwell  with  such  a  guest." 

And  the  way  to  dispossess  self-love  is  to  cease  indulging  it ;  to  regard 
and  treat  self  as  an  enemy,  a  vicious  animal,  for  instance,  whose  propen- 
sities are  to  be  thwarted,  whose  indulgences  are  to  be  curtailed,  as  far  as 
can  be  done  consistently  with  his  utmost  serviceableness  ;  or,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  Scripture,  to  deny  self  and  take  up  the  cross  daily;  to  keep 
under  the  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection  ;  to  mortify  the  members 
which  are  upon  the  earth  ;  to  cease  from  loving  the  world  and  the  things 
of  the  world. 

Alas  for  those  whose  days  are  spent  in  pampering  their  bodies,  under 
the  idea  of  preserving  their  life  and  health  ;  who  toil  to  lay  up  treasures 
upon  earth,  under  the  idea  of  providing  for  their  children  ;  who  conform 
to  the  fashions  of  the  world,  under  the  idea  of  avoiding  pernicious  singu- 
larity ;  who  use  every  means  to  maintain  their  character,  and  extend 
their  reputation,  under  the  idea  of  gaining  more  influence,  and  thereby 
capacity  for  serving  the  cause  !  How  can  such  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ?  "  Strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  that  leadeth  unto 
life;  and  few  there  be  that  find  it."  Wouldst  thou,  my  brother,  belong 
to  the  happy  few  ?  Wouldst  thou  subdue  that  inordinate  self-love  which 
has  hitherto  shut  out  the  love  of  God  from  thy  heart,  and  impeded  thy 
progress  in  the  heavenly  way?  Adopt  a  course  of  daily,  habitual  self- 
denial.  Cease  gratifying  thy  appetite  ;  be  content  with  the  plainest  diet ; 
reject  what  most  pampers  the  palate  ;  fast  often  ;  keep  thy  body  under. 
Cease  adorning  thy  person  ;  dress  in  coarse  and  poor  apparel  ;  discard 
all  finery  ;  cut  off  the  supplies  of  vanity  and  pride.  Occupy  a  poor  hab- 
itation ;  suffer  inconveniences,  yea,  prefer  them  ever  to  slothful  ease  and 
carnal  indulgence.  Allow  no  amusements  ;  turn  away  thine  eyes  from 
the  pleasant  sights,  and  thine  ears  from  the  pleasant  sounds,  of  this  vain 
world.  Engage  in  no  conversation,  read  no  book,  that  interrupts  thy 
communion  v/ith  God  ;  nor  indeed  any  that  has  not  a  devotional  tenden- 
cy, unless  it  be  necessary  in  thy  calling.  Get  rid  of  the  encumbrance  of 
worldly  property  ;  sell  what  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  especially 
those  who  are  in  spiritual  poverty.  As  to  character,  that  last  idol  and 
most  deadly  tyrant  of  poor  fallen  man,  follow  the  advice  of  that  eminent 
saint.  Archbishop  Leighton :  "Choose  always,  to  the  best  of  thy  skill, 
what  is  most  to  God's  honor,  and  most  like  unto  Christ  and  his  exam- 
ple, and  most  profitable  to  thy  neighbor,  and  most  against  thy  own 


574  ^^^^  L^P^  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

proper  will,  and  least  serviceable  to  thy  own  praise  and  exaltation." 
And  again  :  "  Not  only  be  content,  but  desirous,  to  be  unkno'.vn,  or,  be- 
ing known,  to  be  contemned  and  despised  of  all  men,  yet  without  thy 
faults  or  deservings,  as  much  as  thou  canst."*  Finally,  renounce  all 
terms  with  this  world,  which  lieth  in  the  arms  of  the  wicked  one  ;  re- 
nounce all  thy  worldly  projects  and  pursuits,  except  what  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  thine  own  sustenance  and  that  of  those  dependent  on  thee  ; 
avoid,  as  much  as  possible,  the  contaminating  touch  of  worldly  things  ; 
and  by  shutting  the  avenues  of  thy  soul  against  the  solicitations  of  the 
.ust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,  endeavor  to 
weaken  that  deadly  and  tremendous  influence  which  the  world  has  gained 
over  thee,  and  of  which  thou  art  scarcely  suspicious.f  And  when  thou 
hast  done  all  thou  canst,  remember  that  on  account  of  the  hesitation 
with  which  thou  didst  admit  the  light  ;  the  reluctance  with  which  thou 
didst  enter  on  thy  duty  ;  the  carnal  reasonings  which  at  every  step  thou 
hast  indulged  ;  the  readiness  which  thou  hast  sometimes  felt  to  give  up 
the  effort ;  and  the  unfaithfulness  which  has  marred,  the  sin  which  has 
polluted  thy  best  performances — thou  deservest  nothing  but  hell. 

Art  thou  ready,  on  reading  these  pages,  to  say  in  despair,  Alas  for 
me  !  bound  by  a  thousand  chains,  and  loaded  with  a  thousand  burdens, 
how  can  I  ever  live  a  holy  life  of  self-denial .''  Remember  that  there  is 
One  who  is  able  and  willing  to  help  thee.  It  is  commonly,  if  not  always, 
the  case  with  young  converts,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  draws  them  towards 
the  path  of  self-denial.  We  can  all,  perhaps,  remember  the  time  when 
we  had  such  a  sense  of  our  unworthiness  that  we  were  desirous  of  de- 
nying ourselves  of  every  indulgence  ;  when  we  had  such  a  sense  of  the 
danger  of  temptation,  and  the  dreadful  power  of  sin,  that  we  were  will- 
■■ng  to  renounce  all  things  in  order  to  live  a  holy  life.  But  in  the  Prot- 
estant church  we  were  frightened  by  the  phantoms  of  Romish  austeri- 
ties, self-inflicted  mortifications,  overmuch  righteousness,  religious  en- 
thusiasm, etc. ;  we  shut  our  eyes  to  the  dawning  light,  turned  away  our 
ears  from  the  heavenly  call,  the  Spirit  ceased  to  strive,  and  we  have  been 
swept  away  with  the  tide. 


*  See  Rules  and  Imtruclions  for  a  Holy  Life,  a  piece  which,  though  not  elab- 
orately finished,  contains  the  very  marrow  of  true  relijjion.  Study  also  Law's  T}-eat- 
ise  upon  Christian  Perfection,  and  Kempis's  Itnitatio7i  of  Christ. 

t  To  guard  against  extremes,  take  the  two  following  short  rules  :  ist.  Avoid  such 
privations  and  severities  as  do  really  injure  thy  bodily  health.  2d.  Avoid  affected  sin- 
gularities  in  dress  and  deportment,  which  only  cherish  pride  ;  and  while  thou  aimest 
to  be  poor  and  mortified  in  all  outward  things,  still  retain  the  garb  and  costume  of 
thy  countr)',  and  respect  those  national  usages  which  are  common  to  the  high  and  the 
low,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  unless  there  be  some  special  reason  for  a  change. 


APPENDIX.  575 

Return,  0  mistaken  soul,  to  thy  first  love.  God  is  still  waitinc^  to  be 
gracious.  Dost  thou  not  feel  a  latent  impulse,  as  thou  reaclest  these 
lines ?  a  secret  conviction  that  this  is  the  truth?  an  incipient  desire  to 
comply  ?  Yield  thyself  to  the  heavenly  influence.  Make  an  immediate 
beginning.  Wait  not  till  thou  seest  the  whole  path  clearly  illumined ; 
expect  not  meridian  brightness,  while  thy  sun  is  yet  struggling  with  the 
dark,  malignant  vapors  which  rest  on  thy  earthly  horizon,  the  confines  of 
a  still  darker  world.  The  path  of  self-denial  is,  to  carnal  eyes,  a  veiled 
path,  a  mystery  of  the  divine  kingdom.  While  thou  hesitatest  at  the  first 
sacrifice  required,  expect  no  further  admonition,  no  further  light.  But  i 
thou  wilt  do  what  thy  hands  find  to  do  this  hour,  if  thou  wilt,  in  child- 
like simplicity  and  humble  obedience,  take  the  first  step,  thou  shalt  see 
the  second,  which  now  thou  seest  not ;  and  as  thou  advancest,  thou  shalt 
find  the  path  of  self-denial  open  most  wonderfully  and  delightfully  before 
thee  ;  thou  shalt  find  it  sweet  to  follow  thy  dear  Lord  and  Saviour,  bear- 
ing the  cross,  and  shalt  soon  be  enabled  to  say, — 

"  Sweel  is  the  cross,  above  all  sweets, 
To  souls  enamored  with  thy  smiles." 

The  third  is  the  cord  oi  Djing  good.  This  imparts  beauty  and  utility 
to  the  rest.  It  is  written  of  the  Lord  Jesus  that  he  wtnt  about  doing 
good.  Art  thou  his  disciple .?  Imitate  his  example,  and  go  about  doing 
good.  Do  GOOD.  Let  this  be  thy  motto.  Do  good — all  the  good  in  thy 
power — of  every  sort — and  to  every  person.  Regard  every  human  being 
as  thine  own  brother;  look  with  eyes  of  love  on  every  one  thou  meetest, 
and  hope  that  he  will  be  thy  loving  and  beloved  companion  in  the  bright 
world  above.  Rejoice  in  every  opportunity  of  doing  him  any  good, 
either  of  a  temporal  or  spiritual  kind.  Comfort  him  in  trouble  ;  relieve 
his  wants  ;  instruct  his  ignorance  ;  enlighten  his  darkness  ;  warn  him  of 
his  danger ;  show  him  the  way  of  salvation ;  persuade  and  constrain  him 
to  become  thy  fellow-traveller  in  that  blessed  way.  Follow  him  with  all 
offices  of  kindness  and  love,  even  as  thou  wouldst  be  pleased  to  have 
another  do  to  thee.  Bear  with  all  his  infirmities.  Be  not  weary  in  well 
doing.  Remember  that  thy  Saviour  bore  long  with  thee,  and  is  still 
bearing  with  thee,  beyond  all  conception,  and  covering  thy  pollution  with 
the  robe  stained  with  his  own  blood,  that  the  wrath  of  God  may  not 
strike  thee.  And  v.hen  he  thus  forgives  thine  immense  debt,  canst  thou 
not  bear  with  thy  fellow-debtor  ? 

Do  good  to  the  Lord  thy  Saviour.  Is  he  far  beyond  thy  reach  }  True, 
he  reigns  on  high ;  but  still  he  lives  in  all  his  members.  "  Inasmuch  as 
ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done 
it  unto  me."    As  thou  hast,  therefore,  opportunity,  do  good  unto  ail  men^ 


576  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

especially  unto  them  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith.  As  a  true  fol- 
lower of  Christ,  seek  not  thine  own  profit,  but  the  profit  of  many,  that 
they  may  be  saved.  Since  Christ  has  suffered,  that  whosoever  believeth 
on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life,  extend  thy  good  wishes 
to  earth's  remotest  bounds  ;  and  wherever  a  human  being  exists,  let  thy 
prayers  and  thine  efforts  combine  to  bring  down  eternal  blessings  on  his 
beloved  soul.  But  let  the  members  of  the  household  of  faith,  whatever 
be  their  language,  country,  or  religious  denomination,  share  in  thy  warm- 
est love.  Regard  each  one  as  a  part  of  thine  own  dear  Saviour  ;  and  be 
as  happy  to  wash  his  feet  as  if  they  were  the  feet  of  thy  Lord  himself. 
Remember  that,  notwithstanding  present  imperfections,  ye  are  hastening 
to  be  united  to  one  another,  and  to  God,  in  a  manner  most  ineffable, 
even  as  God  is  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  God ;  that  the  bosom  of  infinite 
love  is  even  now  opening  to  receive  you  all,  and  that  ye  will  all  bathe 
together,  for  endless  ages,  in  "  that  sea  of  Hfe  and  love  unknown,  without 
a  bottom  or  a  shore." 

By  practising  self-denial,  thou  weakenest  the  debasing  principle  of  in- 
ordinate self-love;  and  by  doing  good,  thou  cherishest  and  strengthenest 
the  heavenly  principle  of  holy  benevolence.  Let  these  exercises,  then, 
quickened  and  sanctified  by  secret  prayer,  be  the  regular  work  of  each 
day  of  thy  life. 

Thus  I  present  thee,  my  brother,  with  the  threefold  cord — the  three 
grand  means  of  growing  in  grace — of  gaining  the  victory  over  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil — of  drawing  the  soul  from  earth  to  heaven. 
Means,  I  say  ;  for  I  speak  not  now  of  faith,  the  living  operative  principle 
within — the  hand,  with  which  thou  must  lay  hold  of  the  threefold  cord. 
Wilt  thou  accept  my  present }  Art  thou  inclined  to  lay  hold  ?  Cherish 
the  Heaven-born  inclination.  It  is  worth  more  to  thee  than  all  the 
treasures  of  the  earth.  Go  into  thy  place  of  prayer,  stretch  out  the  hand 
of  faith,  and  implore  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  even  now  hovering  over 
thee,  to  strengthen  thee  to  lay  hold  for  hfe.  Dost  thou  hesitate  1  O  my 
brother,  do  not,  I  beseech  thee.  O,  do  not  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit.  Dis- 
appoint not  the  fond  hopes  of  thy  longing  Saviour.  Renounce  the  world, 
renounce  thyself,  and  flee  into  his  loving  arms,  which  are  open  to  receive 
and  embrace  thee.  Angels  will  rejoice  over  thy  second  conversion,  as 
they  did  over  thy  first.  Thou  wilt  soon  find  such  sweetness  as  thou  hast 
never  yet  conceived.  Thou'  wilt  begin  to  live  in  a  new  world,  to  breathe 
a  new  atmosphere,  and  to  behold  the  light  of  heaven  shining  around 
thee ;  and  thou  wilt  begin  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  in  a  new  manner, 
when  he  is  "  pacified  towards  thee,  for  all  that  thou  hast  done." 


APPENDIX. 


577 


P0StsC7'tpt. 

In  taking  leave  of  thee,  my  brother,  the  thought  occurs,  that,  notwith- 
standing- thy  prevailing  hope,  thou  mayst  yet  have  fearful  doubts  about 
thy  spiritual  state,  and  mayst  think  that  thou  hast  not  yet  the  hand  of 
faith,  with  which  to  lay  hold  of  what  I  send  thee.  And  I  fancy  I  hear 
thee  cry.  What  shall  I  do?  Art  thou  sensible  of  thy  maimed  state? 
Then  there  is  some  hope.  Do  what  thou  canst :  stretch  out  what  thou 
hast,  however  maimed  or  withered,  and  try  to  lay  hold.  Try  to  pray  in 
faith,  to  practice  self-denial,  and  to  do  good.  And  be  assured, 
my  brother,  that  thou  wilt  quickly  find  the  hand  of  faith  where  thou 
thoughtest  it  was  not.  There  is  one  near  thee  whom  yet  thou  knowest 
not — He  who  gave  sight  to  blind  Bartimeus,  and  said  to  the  deaf  man, 
Ephphatha,  Be  opened ;  He  who  heareth  the  young  ravens  when  they 
cry,  and  much  more,  the  cry  of  man,  the  dearest  of  all  his  creatures  ;  He, 
who  is  ever  moved  with  the  yearning  feelings  of  a  tender  parent,  when 
he  sees,  at  a  distance,  his  poor  prodigal  son  returning,  famished  and 
forlorn,  from  the  far  country. 

MiZAR,  February,  1829. 


ADVICE    TO    MISSIONARY    CANDIDATES. 

To  the  Foreign  Missionary  Association  of  the  Hamilton  Literary  and 
Theological  Institution,  N.  Y. 

Maulmain,  June  25,  1S32. 

Dear  Brethren  :  Yours  of  November  last,  from  the  pen  of  your 
Corresponding  Secretary,  Mr.  William  Dean,  is  before  me.  It  is  one  of 
the  few  letters  that  I  feel  called  upon  to  answer,  for  you  ask  my  advice 
on  several  important  points.  There  is,  also,  in  the  sentiments  you  ex- 
press, something  so  congenial  to  my  own,  that  I  feel  my  heart  knit  to  the 
members  of  your  association,  and  instead  of  commonplace  reply,  am  de- 
sirous of  setting  down  a  few  items  which  may  be  profitable  to  you  in  your 
future  course.  Brief  items  they  must  be,  for  want  of  time  forbids  my  ex- 
patiating. 

In  commencing  my  remarks,  I  take  you  as  you  are.  You  are  con- 
templating a  missionary  life. 

First,  then,  let  it  be  a  missionary  life  ;  that  is,  come  out  for  life,  and 
not  for  a  limited  term.  Do  no*  fancy  that  you  have  a  true  missionary 
37 


578  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOI^. 

spirit,  while  you  are  intending  all  along  to  leave  the  heathen  soon  after 
acquiring  their  language.  Leave  them  !  for  what  ?  To  spend  the  rest 
of  your  days  in  enjoying  the  ease  and  plenty  of  your  native  land  ? 

Secondly.  In  choosing  a  companion  for  life,  have  particular  regard  to 
a  good  constitution,  and  not  wantonly,  or  without  good  cause,  bring  a 
burden  on  yourselves  and  the  mission. 

Thirdly.  Be  not  ravenous  to  do  good  on  board  ship.  Missionaries 
have  frequently  done  more  hurt  than  good,  by  injudicious  zeal,  during 
their  passage  out. 

Fourthly.  Take  care  that  the  attention  you  receive  at  home,  the  un- 
favorable circumstances  in  which  you  will  be  placed  on  board  ship,  and 
the  unmissionary  examples  you  may  possibly  meet  with  at  some  mission- 
ary stations,  do  not  transform  you  from  living  missionaries  to  mere  skele- 
tons before  you  reach  the  place  of  your  destination.  It  may  be  profitable 
to  bear  in  mind,  that  a  large  proportion  of  those  who  come  out  on  a  mis- 
sion to  the  East  die  within  five  years  after  leaving  their  native  land. 
Walk  softly,  therefore  ;  death  is  narrowly  watching  your  steps. 

Fifthly.  Beware  of  the  reaction  which  will  take  place  soon  after  reach- 
ing your  field  of  labor.  There  you  will  perhaps  find  native  Christians,  of 
whose  merits  or  demerits  you  can  not  judge  correctly  without  some  familiar 
acquaintance  with  their  language.  Some  appearances  will  combine  to 
disappoint  and  disgust  you.  You  will  meet  with  disappointments  and 
discouragements,  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  form  a  correct  idea  from 
written  accounts,  and  which  will  lead  you,  at  first,  almost  to  regret  that 
you  have  embarked  in  the  cause.  You  will  see  men  and  women  who'n 
you  have  been  accustomed  to  view  through  a  telescope  some  thousands 
of  miles  long.  Such  an  instrument  is  apt  to  magnify.  Beware,  there- 
fore, of  the  reaction  you  will  experience  from  a  combination  of  all  these 
causes,  lest  you  become  disheartened  at  commencing  your  work,  or  take 
up  a  prejudice  against  some  persons  and  places,  which  will  embitter  all 
your  future  lives. 

Sixthly.  Beware  of  the  greater  reaction  which  will  take  place  after  you 
have  acquired  the  language,  and  become  fatigued  and  worn  out  with 
preaching  the  gospel  to  a  disobedient  and  gainsaying  people.  You  will 
sometimes  long  for  a  quiet  retreat,  where  you  can  find  a  respite  ("rom  the 
tucr  of  toiling  at  native  work — the  incessant,  intolerable  friction  of  the 
missionaiy  grindstone.  And  Satan  will  sympathize  with  you  in  tliis  mat- 
ter ;  and  he  will  present  some  chapel  of  ease,  in  which  to  ofificiate  in  your 
native  tongue,  some  government  situation,  some  professorship  or  editor- 
ship, some  literary  or  scientific  pursuit,  some  supernumerary  translation, 
or,  at  least,  some  system  of  schools ;  anything,  in  a  word,  that  will  help 
you,  without  much  surrender  of  character,  to  slip  out  of  real  missionary 


APPENDIX. 


579 


work.     Such  a  temptation  will  form  the  crisis  of  your  disease.     If  your 
spiritual  constitution  can  sustain  it,  you  recover;  if  not,  you  die. 

Seventhly.  Beware  of  pride  ;  not  the  pride  of  proud  men,  but  the  pride 
of  humble  men — that  secret  pride  which  is  apt  to  grow  out  of  the  con- 
sciousness that  we  are  esteemed  by  the  great  and  good.  This  pride 
sometimes  eats  out  the  vitals  of  religion  before  its  existence  is  suspected. 
In  order  to  check  its  operations,  it  may  be  well  to  remember  how  we 
appear  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  how  we  should  appear  in  the  sight  of  our 
fellow-men,  if  all  were  known.  Endeavor  to  let  all  be  known.  Confess 
your  faults  freely,  and  as  publicly  as  circumstances  will  require  or  admit. 
When  you  have  done  something  of  which  you  are  ashamed,  and  by  which, 
perhaps,  some  person  has  been  injured  (and  what  man  is  exempt  ?),  be  glad 
not  only  to  make  reparation,  but  improve  the  opportunity  for  subduing 
your  pride. 

Eighthly.  Never  lay  up  money  for  yourselves  or  your  families.  Trust 
in  God  from  day  to  day,  and  verily  you  shall  be  fed. 

Ninthly.  Beware  of  that  indolence  which  leads  to  a  neglect  of  bodily 
exercise.  The  poor  health  and  premature  death  of  most  Europeans  in 
the  East  must  be  eminently  ascribed  to  the  most  wanton  neglect  of  bodily 
exercise. 

Tenthly.  Beware  of  genteel  living.  Maintain  as  little  intercourse  as 
possible  with  fashionable  European  society.  The  mode  of  living  adopted 
by  many  missionaries  in  the  East  is  quite  inconsistent  with  that  familiar 
intercourse  with  the  natives  which  is  essential  to  a  missionary. 

There  are  many  points  of  self-denial  that  1  should  like  to  touch  upon  ; 
but  a  consciousness  of  my  own  deficiency  constrains  me  to  be  silent.  I 
have  also  left  untouched  several  topics  of  vital  importance,  it  having  been 
my  aim  to  select  such  only  as  appear  to  me  to  have  been  not  much 
noticed  or  enforced.  I  hope  you  will  excuse  the  monitorial  style  that  I 
have  accidentally  adopted.     I  assure  you,  I  mean  no  harm. 

In  regard  to  your  inquiries  concerning  studies,  <qualifications,  etc., 
nothing  occurs  that  I  think  would  be  particularly  useful,  except  the 
simple  remark,  that  I  fear  too  much  stress  begins  to  be  laid  on  what  is 
termed  a  thorough  classical  education. 

Praying  that  you  may  be  guided  in  all  your  deliberations,  and  that  I 
may  yet  have  the  pleasure  of  welcoming  some  of  you  to  these  heathen 
shores,  I  remain 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

A,  JUDSON. 


580  THE  LIFE  OF  A  DON IR AM  JUDSON. 


THE    KATHAYAN    SLAVE. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  English  and  Burmese  war  of  1824,  all 
the  Christians  (called  "  hat-wearers,"  in  contradistinction  from  the  tur- 
baned  heads  of  the  Orientals)  residing  at  Ava  were  thrown  unceremoni- 
ously into  the  death-prison.  Among  them  were  both  Protestant  and 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries ;  some  few  reputable  European  traders  ; 
and  criminals  shadowed  from  the  laws  of  Christendom  "under  the  sole 
of  the  golden  foot."  These,  Americans,  English,  Spanish,  Portuguese, 
Greek,  and  Armenian,  were  all  huddled  together  in  one  prison,  with 
villains  of  every  grade — the  thief,  the  assassin,  the  bandit,  or  all  three  in 
one ;  constituting,  in  connection  with  countless  other  crimes,  a  blacker 
character  than  the  inhabitant  of  a  civilized  land  can  picture.  Sometimes 
stript  of  their  clothing,  sometimes  nearly  starved,  loaded  with  heavy 
irons,  thrust  into  a  hot,  filthy,  noisome  apartment,  with  criminals  for 
companions  and  criminals  for  guards,  compelled  to  see  the  daily  torture, 
to  hear  the  shriek  of  anguish  from  writhing  victims,  with  death,  death  in 
some  terribly  detestable  form,  always  before  them,  a  severer  state  of 
suffering  can  scarcely  be  imagined. 

The  Burmese  had  never  been  known  to  spare  the  lives  of  their  war- 
captives  ;  and  though  the  little  band  of  foreigners  could  scarcely  be 
called  prisoners  of  war,  yet  this  well-known  custom,  together  with  their 
having  been  thrust  into  the  death-prison,  from  which  there  was  no 
escape,  except  by  a  pardon  from  the  king,  cut  off  nearly  every  reasonable 
hope  of  rescue.  But  (quite  a  new  thing  in  the  annals  of  Burmese  history), 
although  some  died  from  the  intensity  of  their  sufferings,  no  foreigner 
was  wantonly  put  to  death.  Of  those  who  were  claimed  by  the  English 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  some  one  or  two  are  yet  living,  with  anklets  and 
bracelets  which  tljey  will  carry  to  the  grave  with  them,  wrought  in  their 
flesh  by  the  heavy  iron.  It  may  well  be  imagined  that  these  men  might 
unfold  to  us  scenes  of  horror,  incidents  daily  occurring  under  their  own 
shuddering  gaze,  in  comparison  with  which  the  hair-elevating  legends  of 
Ann  Radcliff  would  become  simply  fairy  tales. 

The  death-prison  at  Ava  was  at  that  time  a  single  large  room,  built 
of  rough  boards,  without  either  window  or  door,  and  with  but  a  thinly 
thatched  roof  to  protect  the  wretched  inmates  from  the  blaze  of  a  trop- 
ical sun.  It  was  entered  by  slipping  aside  a  single  board,  which  consti- 
tuted a  sort  of  sliding-door.  Around  the  prison,  inside  the  yard,  were 
ranged  the  huts  of  the  under-jailers,  or  Children  of  the  Prison,  and  out- 
side of  the  yard,  close  at  hand,  that  of  the   head-jailer.     These  jailers 


APPENDIX.  581 

must  necessarily  be  condemned  criminals,  with  a  ring-,  the  sign  of  out- 
lawry, traced  in  the  skin  of  the  cheek,  and  the  name  of  their  crime  en- 
graved in  the  same  manner  upon  the  breast.  The  head-jailer  was  a  tall, 
bony  man,  with  sinews  of  iron  ;  wearing,  when  speaking,  a  malicious 
smirk,  and  given  at  times  to  a  most  revolting  kind  of  jocoseness.  When 
silent  and  quiet,  he  had  a  jaded,  care-worn  look ;  but  it  was  at  the  tor- 
ture that  he  was  in  his  proper  element.  Then  his  face  lighted  up — be- 
came glad,  furious,  demoniac.  His  small  black  eyes  glittered  like  those 
of  a  serpent ;  his  thin  lips  rolled  back,  displaying  his  toothless  gums  in 
front,  with  a  long,  protruding  tusk  on  either  side,  stained  black  as  ebo- 
ny :  his  hollow,  ringed  cheeks  seemed  to  contract  more  and  more,  and 
his  breast  heaved  with  convulsive  delight  beneath  the  fearful  word — 
Man-Killer.  The  prisoners  called  him  father,  when  he  was  present 
to  enforce  this  expression  of  affectionate  familiarity  ;  but  among  them- 
selves he  was  irreverently  christened  the  ti^er-cat. 

One  of  the  most  active  of  the  Children  of  the  Prison  was  a  short,  broad- 
faced  man,  labelled  Thief,  who,  as  well  as  the  Tiger,  had  a  peculiar 
talent  in  the  way  of  torturing ;  and  so  fond  was  he  of  the  use  of  the 
whip,  that  he  often  missed  his  count,  and  zealously  exceeded  the  num- 
ber of  lashes  ordered  by  tl;ie  city  governor.  The  wife  of  this  man  was  a 
most  odious  creature ;  filthy,  bold,  impudent,  cruel,  and,  like  her  hus- 
band, delighting  in  torture.  Her  face  was  not  only  dfeeply  pitted  with 
small- pox,  but  so  deformed  with  leprosy,  that  the  white  cartilage  of  the 
nose  was  laid  entirely  bare ;  from  her  large  mouth  shone  rows  of  irregu- 
lar teeth,  black  as  ink  ;  her  hair,  which  was  left  entirely  to  the  care  of 
nature,  was  matted  in  large  black  masses  about  her  head  ;  and  her  man- 
ner, under  all  this  hideous  ugliness,  was  insolent  and  vicious.  They  had 
two  children — little  vipers,  well  loaded  with  venom  ;  and  by  their  vexa- 
tious mode  of  annoyance  trying  the  tempers  of  the  prisoners  more  than 
was  in  the  power  of  the  mature  torturers. 

As  will  readily  be  perceived,  the  security  of  this  prison  was  not  in  the 
strength  of  the  structure,  but  in  the  heavy  manacles,  and  the  living  wall. 
The  lives  of  the  jailers  depended  entirely  on  their  fidelity  ;  and  fidelity 
involved  strict  obedience  to  orders,  however  ferocious.  As  for  them- 
selves, they  could  not  escape  ;  they  had  nowhere  to  go  ;  certain  death 
awaited  them  everywhere,  for  they  bore  on  cheek  and  breast  the  inef- 
faceable proof  of  their  outlawry.  Their  only  safety  was  at  their  post ; 
and  there  was  no  safety  there  in  humanity,  even  if  it  were  possible  for 
such  degraded  creatures  to  have  a  spark  of  humanity  left.  So  inclina- 
tion united  with  interest  to  make  them  what  they  really  were — demons. 

The  arrival  of  a  new  prisoner  was  an  incident  calculated  to  excite  but 
little  interest  in  the  hat-weaiers,  provided  he  came  in  turban  and  waist- 


582  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

doth.  But  one  morning  there  was  brought  in  a  young  man,  speaking 
the  Burmese  brokenly,  and  with  the  soft  accent  of  the  north,  who  at  once 
attracted  universal  attention.  He  was  tall  and  erect,  with  a  mild, 
handsome  face,  bearing  the  impress  of  inexpressible  suffering ;  a  com- 
plexion slightly  tinted  with  the  rich  brown  of  the  east ;  a  tine,  m.anly 
carriage,  and  a  manner  which,  even  there,  was  both  graceful  and 
dignified. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  was  the  interpretation  of  the  inquiring  glances  ex- 
changed among  those  who  had  no  liberty  to  speak ;  and  then  eye  asked 
of  eye,  "  What  can  he  have  done  ? — he  so  gentle,  so  mild,  so  manly,  that 
even  these  wretches,  who  scarcely  know  the  name  of  pity  and  respect, 
seem  to  feel  both  for  him  ?  "  There  was,  in  truth,  something  in  the 
countenance  of  the  new  prisoner  which,  without  asking  for  sympathy,  in- 
voluntarily enforced  it.  It  was  not  amiability,  though  his  dark,  soft,  beau- 
tiful eye  was  full  of  a  noble  sweetness  ;  it  was  not  resignation  ;  it  was 
not  apathy  ;  it  was  hopelessness,  deep,  utter,  immovable,  suffering  hope- 
lessness. Very  young,  and  apparently  not  ambitious  or  revengeful,  what 
crime  could  this  interesting  stranger  have  committed  to  draw  down  "  the 
golden  foot "  with  such  crushing  weight  upon  his  devoted  head?  He 
seemed  utterly  friendless,  and  without  even  the  means  of  obtaining  food  ; 
for,  as  the  day  advanced,  no  one  came  to  see  him  ;  and  the  officer  who 
brought  him  had  left  no  directions.  He  did  not,  however,  suffer  from 
this  neglect,  for  Madam  Thief  (most  wonderful  to  relate !)  actually 
shared  so  deeply  in  the  universal  sympathy  as  to  bring  him  a  small 
quantity  of  boiled  rice  and  water. 

Toward  evening  the  Woon-bai,  a  governor,  or  rather  Mayor  of  the 
city,  entered  the  prison,  his  bold,  lion-like  face  as  open  and  unconcerned 
as  ever,  but  with  something  of  unusual  bustling  in  his  manner. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  he  cried,  sternly ;  "  where  is  he  ?  this  son  of  Kathay  ? 
this  dog,  villain,  traitor  !  where  is  he  ?  Aha  !  only  one  pair  of  irons  ? 
Put  on  five  !  do  you  hear  ?  five  !  " 

The  W^oon-bai  remained  till  his  orders  were  executed,  and  the  poor 
Kathayan  was  loaded  with  five  pairs  of  fetters;  and  then  he  went  out, 
frowning  on  one  and  smiling  on  another ;  while  the  Children  of  the 
Prison  watched  his  countenance  and  manner,  as  significant  of  what  was 
expected  of  them.  The  prisoners  looked  at  each  other,  and  shook  their 
heads  in  commiseration. 

The  next  day  the  feet  of  the  young  Kathayan,  in  obedience  to  some 
new  order,  were  placed  in  the  stocks,  which  raised  them  about  eighteen 
inches  from  the  ground ;  and  the  five  pairs  of  fetters  were  all  disposed 
on  the  outer  side  of  the  plank,  so  that  their  entire  weight  fell  upon  the 
ankles.      The  position  was  so  painful  that  each  prisoner,  some  from 


APPENDIX.  583 

memory,  some  from  sympathetic  apprehension,  shared  in  the  pain  when 
he  looked  at  the  sufferer. 

During  this  day,  one  of  the  missionaries,  who  had  been  honored  with 
an  invitation,  which  it  was  never  prudent  to  refuse,  to  the  hut  of  the 
Thief,  learned  something-  of  the  histoi7  of  the  young  man,  and  his  crime. 
His  home,  it  was  told  him,  was  among  the  rich  hills  of  Kathay,  as  they 
range  far  northward,  where  the  tropic  sun  loses  the  intense  fierceness  ol 
his  blaze,  and  makes  the  atmosphere  soft  and  luxurious,  as  though  it 
were  mellowing  beneath  the  same  amber  sky  which  ripens  the  fruits, 
and  gives  their  glow  to  the  flowers.  What  had  been  his  rank  in  his  own 
land,  the  jailer's  wife  did  not  know.  Perhaps  he  had  been  a  prince,  chief 
of  the  brave  band  conquered  by  the  superior  force  of  the  Burmans  ;  or  a 
hunter  among  the  spicy  groves  and  deep- wooded  jungles,  lithe  as  the 
tiger  which  he  pursued  from  lair  to  lair,  and  free  as  the  flame-winged 
bird  of  the  sun  that  circled  above  him  ;  or  perhaps  his  destiny  had  been 
a  humbler  one,  and  he  had  but  followed  his  goats  as  they  bounded  fear- 
lessly from  ledge  to  ledge,  and  plucked  for  food  the  herbs  upon  his  native 
hills.  He  had  been  brought  away  by  a  marauding  party,  and  presented 
as  a  slave  to  the  brother  of  the  queen.  This  Men-thah-gyee,  the  Great 
Prince,  as  he  was  called,  by  way  of  pre-eminence,  had  risen,  through  the 
influence  of  his  sister,  from,  the  humble  condition  of  a  fishmonger,  to  be 
the  Richelieu  of  the  nation.  Unpopular  from  his  mean  origin,  and  still 
more  unpopular  from  the  acts  of  brutality  to  which  the  intoxication  of 
power  had  given  rise,  the  sympathy  excited  by  the  poor  Kathayan  in  the 
breasts  of  these  wretches  may  easily  be  accounted  for.  It  was  not  pity 
or  mercy,  but  hatred.  Anywhere  else,  the  sufferer's  sad,  handsome  face, 
and  mild,  uncomplaining  manner,  would  have  enlisted  sympathy ;  but 
here,  they  would  scarcely  have  seen  the  sadness,  or  beauty,  or  mildness, 
except  through  the  medium  of  a  passion  congenial  to  their  own 
natures. 

Among  the  other  slaves  of  Men-thah-gyee,  was  a  young  Kathay  girl 
of  singular  beauty.  She  was.  so  said  Madam  the  Thief,  a  bundle  of 
roses,  set  round  with  the  fragrant  blossoms  of  the  champac  tree  ;  her 
breath  was  like  that  of  the  breezes  when  they  come  up  from  their  dal- 
liance with  the  spicy  daughters  of  the  islands  of  the  south  ;  her  voice  had 
caught  its  rich  cadence  from  the  musical  gush  of  the  silver  fountain, 
which  wakes  among  the  green  of  her  native  hills ;  her  hair  had  been 
braided  from  the  glossy  raven  plumage  of  the  royal  edolius  ;  her  eyes 
were  twin  stars  looking  out  from  cool  springs,  all  fringed  with  the  long, 
tremulous  reeds  of  the  jungle  ;  and  her  step  was  as  the  free,  graceful 
bound  of  the  wild  antelope.  On  the  subject  of  her  grace,  her  beauty,  and 
her  wondrous  daring,  the  jailer's  wife  could  not  be  sufficiently  eloquent. 


584  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOX. 

And  so  this  poor,  proud,  simple-souled  maiden,  this  diamond  from  the 
rich  hills  of  Kathay,  destined  to  glitter  for  an  hour  or  two  on  a  prince's 
bosom,  unsubdued  even  in  her  desolation,  had  dared  to  bestow  her  affec- 
tions with  the  uncalculating  lavishness  of  conscious  heart-freedom. 
And  the  poor  wretch,  lying  upon-  his  back  in  the  death-prison,  his  feet 
fast  in  the  stocks  and  swelling  and  purpling  beneath  the  heavy  irons,  had 
participated  in  her  crime ;  had  lured  her  on,  by  tender  glances  and  by 
loving  words,  inexpressibly  sweet  in  their  mutual  bondage,  to  irretriev- 
able destruction.  What  fears,  what  hopes  winged  by  fears,  what  tremu- 
lous joys,  still  hedged  in  by  that  same  crowd  of  fears,  what  despondency, 
what  revulsions  of  impotent  anger  and  daring,  what  weeping,  what  de- 
spair must  have  been  theirs  !  Their  tremblings  and  rejoicings,  their  mad 
projects,  growing  each  day  wilder  and  more  dangerous — since  madness 
alone  could  have  given  rise  to  anything  like  hope — are  things  left  to  im- 
agination ;  for  there  was  none  to  relate  the  heart-history  of  the  two 
slaves  of  Men-thah-g)'ee.  Yet  there  were  some  hints  of  a  first  accidental 
meeting  under  the  shadow  of  the  mango  and  tamarind  trees,  where  the 
sun  lighted  up,  by  irregular  gushes,  the  waters  of  the  little  lake  in  the 
centre  of  the  garden,  and  the  rustle  of  leaves  seemed  sufficient  to  drown 
the  accents  of  their  native  tongues.  So  they  looked,  spoke,  their  hearts 
bounded,  paused,  trembled  with  soft  home-memories — they  whispered 
on,  and  they  were  lost.     Poor  slaves  ! 

Then  at  evening,  when  the  dark-browed  maidens  of  the  golden  city 
gathered,  with  their  earthen  vessels,  about  the  well,  there,  shaded  by  the 
thick  clumps  of  bamboo,  with  the  free  sky  overhead,  the  green  earth  be- 
neath, and  the  songs  and  laughter  of  the  merry  girls  ringing  in  their 
ears,  so  like  their  own  home,  the  home  which  they  had  lost  forever — 
oh,  what  a  rare,  sweet,  dangerous  meeting-place  for  those  who  should 
not,  and  yet  must  be  lovers  ! 

Finally  came  a  day  fraught  with  illimitable  consequences ;  the  day 
when  the  young  slave,  not  yet  admitted  to  the  royal  harem,  should  be- 
come more  than  ever  the  property  of  her  master.  And  now  deeper  grew 
their  agony,  more  uncontrollable  their  madness,  wilder  and  more  daring 
their  hopes,  with  every  passing  moment.  Not  a  man  in  Ava  but  would 
have  told  them  that  escape  was  impossible ;  and  yet,  goaded  on  by  love 
and  despair,  they  attempted  the  impossibility.  They  had  countrymen  in 
the  city,  and,  under  cover  of  night,  they  fled  to  them.  Immediately  the 
minister  sent  out  his  myrmidons — they  were  tracked,  captured,  and 
brought  back  to  the  palace. 

"And  what  became  of  the  poor  girl?"  inquired  the  missionary,  with 
much  interest. 


APPENDIX.  585 

The  woman  shuddered,  and  beneath  her  scars  and  the  swarthiness  ol 
her  skin,  she  became  deadly  pale. 

"  There  is  a  cellar,  Tsayah,"  at  last  she  whispered,  still  shuddering, 
"  a  deep  cellar,  that  no  one  has  seen,  but  horrible  cries  come  from  it 
sometimes,  and  two  nights  ago,  for  three  hours,  three  long  hours — such 
shrieks  !  Amai-ai !  what  shrieks  !  And  they  say  that  he  was  there, 
Tsayah,  and  saw  and  heard  it  all.  That  is  the  reason  that  his  eyes  are 
blinded  and  his  ears  benumbed.  A  great  many  go  into  that  cellar,  but 
ncne  ever  come  out  again — none  but  the  doomed  like  him.  It  is — //  is 
like  the  West  Prison"  she  added,  sinking  her  voice  still  lower,  and  cast- 
ing an  eager,  alarmed  look  about  her.  The  missionar)',  too,  shuddered, 
as  much  at  the  mention  of  this  prison  as  at  the  recital  of  the  woman ; 
for  it  shut  within  its  walls  deep  mysteries,  which  even  his  jailers,  accus- 
tomed as  they  were  to  torture  and  death,  shrank  from  babbling  of. 

The  next  day  a  cord  was  passed  around  the  wrists  of  the  young  Katha- 
yan,  his  arms  jerked  up  into  a  position  perpendicular  with  his  prostrate 
body,  and  the  end  of  the  cord  fastened  to  a  beam  overhead.  Still, 
though  faint  from  the  lack  of  food,  parched  with  thirst,  and  racked  with 
pain,  for  his  feet  were  swollen  and  livid,  not  a  murmur  of  complaint 
escaped  his  lips.  And  yet  this  patient  endurance  seemed  scarcely  the 
result  of  fortitude  or  heroism  ;  an  observer  would  have  said  that  the  inner 
suffering  was  so  great  as  to  render  that  of  the  mere  physical  frame  un- 
heeded. There  was  the  same  expression  of  hopelessness,  the  same  un- 
varying wTetchedness,  too  deep,  too  real,  to  think  of  giving  itself  utter- 
ance on  the  face  as  at  his  first  entrance  into  the  prison  ;  and  except  that 
he  now  and  then  fixed  on  one  of  the  hopeless  beings  who  regarded  him 
in  silent  pity,  a  mournful,  half-beseeching,  half-vacant  stare,  this  was  all. 

That  day  passed  away  as  others  had  done  ;  then  came  another  night 
of  dreams,  in  which  loved  ones  gathered  around  the  hearth-stone  of  a 
dear,  distant  home ;  dreams  broken  by  the  clanking  of  chains,  and  the 
groans  of  the  suffering ;  and  then  morning  broke.  There  still  hung  the 
poor  Kathayan  ;  his  face  slightly  distorted  with  the  agony  he  was  suffer- 
mg,  his  lips  dry  and  parched,  his  cheek  pallid  and  sunken,  and  his  eyes 
wild  and  glaring.  His  breast  swelled  and  heaved,  and  now  and  then  a 
sob-like  sigh  burst  forth  involuntarily.  When  the  Tiger  entered,  the  eye 
of  the  young  man  immediately  fastened  on  him,  and  a  shiver  passed 
through  his  frame.  The  old  murderer  went  his  usual  rounds  with  great 
nonchalance ;  gave  an  order  here,  a  blow  there,  and  cracked  a  malicious 
joke  with  a  third  ;  smiling  all  the  time  that  dark,  sinister  smile,  which 
made  him  so  much  more  hideous  in  the  midst  of  his  wickedness.  At 
last  he  approached  the  Kathayan,  who,  with  a  convulsive  movement. 


586  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOiY. 

half  raised  himself  from  the  ground  at  his  touch,  and  seemed  to  contract 
like  a  shrivelled  leaf. 

"  Right !  right,  my  son  !  "  said  the  old  man,  chuckling.  "  You  are 
expert  at  helping  yourself,  to  be  sure  ;  but  then  you  need  assistance.  So 
— so — so  ! "  and  giving  the  cord  three  successive  jerks,  he  succeeded,  by 
means  of  his  immense  strength,  in  raising  the  Kathayan  so  that  but  the 
back  of  his  head,  as  it  fell  downward,  could  touch  the  floor.  There  was 
a  quick,  short  crackling  of  joints,  and  a  groan  escaped  the  prisoner. 
Another  groan  followed,  and  then  another — and  another — a  heaving  of 
the  chest,  a  convulsive  shiver,  and  for  a  moment  he  seemed  lost.  Human 
hearts  glanced  heavenward.  "God  grant  it  !  Father  of  mercies  spare 
him  farther  agony  !  "  It  could  not  be.  Gaspingly  came  the  lost  breath 
back  again,  quiveringly  the  soft  eyes  unclosed  ;  and  the  young  Kathayan 
captive  was  fully  awake  to  his  misery. 

"  I  can  not  die  so — I  can  not — so  slow — so  slow — so  slow  !  "  Hunger 
gnawed,  thirst  burned,  fever  revelled  in  his  veins;  the  cord  upon  his 
wrists  cut  to  the  bone  ;  corruption  had  already  commenced  upon  his 
swollen,  livid  feet ;  the  most  frightful,  torturing  pains  distorted  his  body, 
and  wrung  from  him  groans  and  murmurings  so  pitiful,  so  harrowing,  so 
full  of  anguish,  that  the  unwilling  listeners  could  only  turn  away  their 
heads,  or  lift  their  eyes  to  each  other's  faces  in  mute  horror.  Not  a 
word  was  exchanged  among  them — not  a  lip  had  power  to  give  it  ut- 
terance. 

"  I  can  not  die  so  !  I  can  not  die  so  !  I  can  not  die  so  !  "  came  the 
words,  at  first  moaningly,  and  then  prolonged  to  a-terrible  howl.  And 
so  passed  another  day,  and  another  night,  and  still  the  wretch  lived  on. 

In  the  midst  of  their  filth  and  smothering  heat,  the  prisoners  awoke 
from  such  troubled  sleep  as  they  could  gain  amid  these  horrors ;  and 
those  who  could,  pressed  their  feverish  lips  and  foreheads  to  the  crevices 
between  the  boards  to  court  the  moming  breezes.  A  lady  with  a  white 
brow,  and  a  lip  whose  delicate  vermilion  had  not  ripened  beneath  the 
skies  of  India,  came  with  food  to  her  husband.  By  constant  importuni- 
ty had  the  beautiful  ministering  angel  gained  this  holy  privilege.  Her 
coming  was  like  a  gleam  of  sunlight — a  sudden  unfolding  of  the  beauties 
of  this  bright  earth  to  one  born  blind.  She  performed  her  usual  tender 
ministry  and  departed. 

Day  advanced  to  its  meridian  ;  and  once  more,  but  now  hesitatingly, 
and  as  though  he  dreaded  his  task,  the  Tiger  drew  near  the  young 
Kathayan.     But  the  sufferer  did  not  shrink  from  him  as  before. 

"  Quick  1 "  he  exclaimed,  greedily.  "  Quick  !  give  me  one  hand  and 
the  cord— just  a  moment,  a  single  moment — this  hand  with  the  cord  in 
it — and  you  shall  be  rid  of  me  forever  !  " 


APPENDIX.  587 

The  Tiger  burst  into  a  hideous  laugh,  his  habitual  cruelty  returning  at 
the  sound  of  his  victim's  voice. 

".Rid  of  you  !  not  so  fast,  my  son  ;  not  so  fast.  You  will  hold  out  a 
day  or  two  yet.  Let  me  see  !  "  passing  his  hand  along  the  emaciated, 
feverish  body  of  the  sufferer.  "  Oh,  yes ;  two  days  at  least,  perhaps 
three  ;  and  it  may  be  longer.  Patience,  my  son  ;  you  are  frightfully 
strong  !  Now  these  joints — why,  any  other  man's  would  have  separated 
long  ago  ;  but  here  they  stay  just  as  firmly — "  As  he  spoke  with  a  cal- 
culating sort  of  deliberation,  the  monster  gave  the  cord  a  sudden  jerk, 
then  another,  and  a  third,  raising  his  victim  still  farther  from  the  floor, 
and  then  adjusting  it  about  the  beam,  walked  unconcernedly  away.  For 
several  minutes  the  prison  rung  with  tlie  most  fearful  cries.  Shriek  fol- 
lowed shriek,  agonized,  furious,  with  scarcely  a  breath  between  ;  beilow- 
ings,  bowlings,  gnashings  of  the  teeth,  sharp,  piercing  screams,  yells  of 
savage  defiance;  cry  upon  cry,  cry  upon  cry,  with  wild  superhuman 
strength,  they  came  ;  while  the  prisoners  shrank  in  awe  and  terror, 
trembling  in  their  chains.  But  this  violence  soon  exhausted  itself,  and 
the  paroxysm  passed,  giving  place  to  low,  sad  moans,  irresistibly  pitiful. 
This  was  a  day  never  to  be  forgotten  by  the  hundred  wretched  creatures 
congregated  in  the  gloomy  death-prison.  The  sun  had  never  seemed  to 
move  so  slowly  before.  Its  setting  was  gladly  welcomed,  but  yet  the 
night  brought  no  change.  Those  piteous  moans,  those  agonized  groan- 
ings  seemed  no  nearer  an  end  than  ever. 

Another  day  passed — another  night — again  day  dawned  and  drew 
near  its  close  ;  and  yet  the  poor  Kathayan  clung  to  life  with  frightful 
tenacity.  One  of  the  missionaries,  as  a  peculiar  favor,  had  been  allowed 
to  creep  into  an  old  shed,  opposite  the  door  of  the  prison  ;  and  here  he 
was  joined  by  a  companion,  just  as  the  day  was  declining  towards 
evening. 

"  Oh,  will  it  ever  end  ?  "  whispered  one. 

The  other  only  bowed  his  head  between  his  hands — "  Terrible  !  ter- 
rible ! " 

"  There  surely  can  be  nothing  worse  in  the  West  Prison." 

"  Can  there  be  anything  worse — can  there  be  more  finished  demons 
in  the  pit .?  " 

Suddenly,  while  this  broken  conversation  was  conducted  in  a  low  tone, 
so  as  not  to  draw  upon  the  speakers  the  indignation  of  their  jailers,  they 
were  struck  by  the  singular  stillness  of  the  prison.  The  clanking  of 
chains,  the  murmur  and  the  groan,  the  heavy  breathing  of  congregated 
living  beings,  the  bustle  occasioned  by  the  continuous  uneasy  movement 
of  the  restless  sufferers,  the  ceaseless  tread  of  the  Children  of  the  Prison, 
and  their  bullying  voices,  all  were  hushed. 


5SS  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JZ'DSON: 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  in  a  lower  whisper  than  ever,  and  a  shaking  of  the 
head,  and  holding  their  own  chains  to  prevent  their  rattle,  and  looks  full 
of  wonder,  was  all  that  passed  between  the  two  listeners.  Their  amaze- 
ment was  interrupted  by  a  dull,  heavy  sound,  as  though  a  bag  of  dried 
bones  had  been  suddenly  crushed  down  by  the  weight  of  some  powerful 
foot.  Silently  they  stole  to  a  crevice  in  the  boards,  opposite  the  open 
door.  Not  a  jailer  was  to  be  seen  ;  and  the  prisoners  were  motionless 
and  apparently  breathless,  with  the  exception  of  one  powerful  man,  who 
was  just  drawing  the  wooden  mallet  in  his  hand  for  another  blow  on  the 
temple  of  the  suspended  Kathayan.  It  came  down  with  the  same  dull, 
hollow,  crushing  sound  ;  the  body  swayed  from  the  point  where  it  was 
suspended  by  wrist  and  ankle,  till  it  seemed  that  ever}'  joint  must  be  dis- 
located ;  but  the  flesh  scarcely  quivered.  The  blow  was  repeated,  and 
then  another,  and  another ;  but  they  were  not  needed.  The  poor  cap- 
tive Kathayan  was  dead. 

The  mallet  was  placed  awiy  from  sight,  and  the  daring  man  hobbled 
back  to  his  comer,  dangling  his  heavy  chain  as  though  it  had  been  a 
plavthing,  and  stri\ing  with  all  his  might  to  look  unconscious  and  uncon- 
cerned. An  e\-ident  feeling  of  relief  stole  over  the  prisoners ;  the  Chil- 
dren of  the  Prison  came  back  to  their  places,  one  by  one,  and  aU  went 
on  as  before.  It  was  some  time  before  any  one  appeared  to  discover  the 
death  of  the  Kathayan.  The  old  Tiger  declared  it  was  what  he  had 
been  expecting,  that  his  living  on  in  this  manner  was  quite  out  of  rule ; 
but  that  those  hardy  fellows  from  the  hills  never  would  give  in  while 
there  was  a  possibility  of  drawing  another  breath.  Then  the  poor  skel- 
eton was  unchained,  dragged  by  the  heels  into  the  prison-yard,  and 
thrown  into  a  gutter.  It  did  not,  apparently,  fall  properly,  for  one  of  the 
jailers  altered  the  position  of  the  shoulders  by  means  of  his  foot ;  then 
clutching  the  long  black  hair,  jerked  the  head  a  little  farther  on  the  side. 
Thus  the  discolored  temple  was  hidden  :  and  surely  that  emaciated  form 
gave  sufficient  evidence  of  a  lingering  death.  Soon  after,  a  part\-  of  gov- 
ernment officers  visited  the  prison-yard,  touched  the  corpse  with  their 
feet,  without  raising  it ;  and,  apparently  satisfied,  turned  away,  as  though 
it  had  been  a  dead  dog  that  they  cared  not  to  give  farther  attention. 

Is  it  strange  that,  if  one  were  there  with  a  human  heart  within  him. 
not  brutali2ed  bv  crime,  or  steeled  by  passive  familiarity  with  suffering, 
he  should  have  dragged  his  heavy  chan  to  the  side  of  the  dead,  and 
dropped  upon  his  sharpened,  d  srorted  features  the  tear,  which  there 
was  none  who  had  loved  him  to  shed  ?  Is  it  strange  that  tender  fingers 
should  have  closed  the  stari  ig  eyes,  and  touched  gently  the  cold  brow, 
which  throbbed  no  longer  W'th  pain,  and  smoothed  the  frayed  hair,  and 
composed  the  passive  limbs  decent  y.  though  he  knew  that  the  next  mo- 


APPENDIX.  5S9 

ment  rude  hands  would  destroy  the  result  of  his  pious  labor  ?  And  is  it 
strange  that  when  all  which  remained  of  the  poor  sufferer  had  been  jos- 
tled into  its  sackcloth  shroud,  and  crammed  down  into  the  dark  hole  dug 
for  it  in  the  earth,  a  prayer  should  have  ascended,  even  from  that  ter- 
rible prison  ?  Not  a  prayer  for  the  dead  ;  he  had  received  his  doom. 
But  an  earnest,  beseeching,  upheaving  of  the  heart  for  those  wretched 
beings  that,  in  the  face  of  the  pure  heavens  and  the  smiling  earth,  con- 
found, by  the  inherent  blackness  of  their  natures,  philosopher,  priest,  or 
philanthropist,  who  dares  to  tickle  the  ears  of  the  multitude  with  fair 
theories  of  "  Natural  religion,"  and  "  The  dignitv  of  human  nature." 


WAYSIDE  PREACHING. 

BY   MRS.  E.  C.  JUDSON. 

The  sunlight  fell  aslant  upon  the  fragile  framework  of  a  Burman  zayat ; 
but  though  it  was  some  hours  past  midday,  the  burning  rays  were  not 
yet  level  enough  to  look  too  intrusively  beneath  the  low  projecting  eaves. 
Yet  the  day  was  intensely  hot,  and  the  wearied  occupant  of  the  one  bam- 
boo chair  in  the  centre  of  the  building,  looked  haggard  and  care-worn. 
All  day  long  had  he  sat  in  that  position,  repeating  over  and  over  again, 
as  he  could  find  listeners,  such  simple  truths  as  mothers  are  accustomed 
to  teach  the  infant  on  their  knees  ;  and  now  his  head  was  aching,  and  his 
heart  was  very  h;avy.  He  had  met  some  scoffers,  some  who  seemed 
utterly  indifferent,  but  not  one  sincere  inquirer  after  the  truth. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  the  sun  was  hottest,  and  scarcely  a 
European  throughout  all  India  was  astir,  he  had  received  the  greatest 
number  of  visitors  ;  for  the  passers-by  were  glad  of  a  moment's  rest  and 
shelter  from  the  sun.  The  mats  were  still  spread  invitingly  upon  the 
floor;  but  though  persons  of  almost  ever}'  description  were  continually 
passing  and  repassing,  they  seemed  each  intent  on  his  own  business,  and 
the  missionar}-  was  without  a  listener.  He  thought  of  his  neglected 
study-table  at  home  ;  of  his  patient,  fragile  wife,  toiling  through  the  nu- 
merous cares  of  the  day  alone  ;  of  the  letters  his  friends  were  expecting, 
and  which  he  had  no  time  to  write  ;  of  the  last  periodicals  from  his  dear 
native  land,  lying  still  unread  ;  and  everj-  little  while,  between  the  other 
thoughts,  came  leal  pinings  after  a  delicious  little  book  of  devotion, 
which  he  had  siid  into  his  pocket  in  the  morning,  promising  it  his  first 
moment  of  leisure.     Then  he  was  naturally  an  active  man,  of  quick   ar 


590  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

dent  temperament,  and  with  such  views  of  the  worth  of  time  as  earnest 
American  men  can  scarcely  fail  to  gain  ;  and  it  went  to  his  heart  to  lose 
so  many  precious  moments.  If  he  could  only  do  something  to  fill  up 
these  tedious  intervals  !  But  no  ;  this  was  a  work  to  which  he  must  noi 
give  a  divided  mind.  He  was  renewing  a  half-tested  experiment  in  way- 
side preaching,  and  he  would  not  suffer  his  attention  to  be  distracted  by 
anything  else.  While  his  face  was  hidden  by  his  book,  and  his  mind 
intent  on  self-improvement,  some  poor  passer-by  might  lose  a  last,  an 
only  opportunity,  of  hearing  the  words  of  life.  To  be  sure,  his  own  soul 
seemed  very  barren,  and  needed  refreshing ;  and  his  body  was  weary — 
wearied  well-nigh  to  fainting,  more  with  the  dull,  palsying  inanity  of  the 
dav's  fruitless  endeavors,  than  with  anything  like  labor.  Heavily  beat 
down  the  hot  sun,  lighting  up  the  amber-like  brown  of  the  thatch  as 
with  a  burning  coal ;  while  thickly  in  its  broad  rays  floated  a  heavy 
golden  cloud  of  dust  and  motes,  showing  in  what  a  wretched  atmosphere 
the  delicate  lungs  were  called  to  labor.  Meantime  a  fever-freighted 
breeze,  which  had  been,  all  the  hot  day,  sweeping  the  effluvia  from  east- 
ern marshes,  stirred  the  glossy  leaves  of  the  orange  tree  across  the  way, 
and  parched  the  lip,  and  kindled  a  crimson  spot  upon  the  wan  cheek  of 
the  weary  missionar)'. 

"God  reigns,"  he  repeated,  as  though  some  reminder  of  the  sort  were 
necessary.  "  God  Almighty  reigns ;  and  I  have  given  mjself  to  him, 
soul  and  body,  for  time  and  for  eternity.  His  will  be  done  !  "  Still,  how 
long  the  day  seemed  !  How  broad  the  space  that  blistering  sun  had  yet 
to  travel,  before  its  waiting,  its  watching,  and  its  laboring  would  be 
ended!  Might  he  not  indulge  himself  just  one  moment?  His  hand 
went  to  his  pocket,  and  the  edge  of  a  little  book  peeped  forth  a  moment, 
and  then,  with  a  decided  push,  was  thrust  back  again.  No ;  he  would 
not  trifle  with  his  duty.  He  would  be  sternly,  rigidly  faithful ;  and  the 
blessing  would  surely  come  in  time.  Yet  it  was  with  an  irrepressible 
yawn  that  he  took  up  a  httle  Burman  tract  prepared  by  himself,  of  which 
every  word  was  as  familiar  as  his  own  name,  and  commenced  reading 
aloud.  The  sounds  caught  the  ear  of  a  coarsely-clad  water-bearer,  and 
she  lowered  the  vessel  from  her  head,  and  seated  herself  afar  off,  just 
within  the  shadow  of  the  low  ertves.  Attracted  by  the  foreign  accent  of 
the  reader,  few  passed  without  turning  the  head  a  few  moments  to  listen  ; 
then,  catching  at  some  word  which  seemed  to  them  offensive,  they  would 
repeat  it  mockingly  and  hasten  on. 

Finally  the  old  water-bearer,  grinning  in  angry  derision  till  her  wrinkled 
visage  became  positively  hideous,  rose,  slowly  adjusted  the  earthen  ves- 
sel on  her  head,  and  passed  along,  muttering  as  she  went,  "Jesus 
Christ !— no  Nigban  ! — ha,  ha,  ha!  "     The  heart  of  the  missionary  sunk 


APPENDIX. 


591 


within  iiim,  and  he  was  on  the  point  of  laying  down  the  book.  But  the 
shadow  of  another  passer-by  fell  upon  the  path,  and  he  continued  a 
moment  longer.  It  was  a  tall,  dignified  looking  man,  leading  by  the 
hand  a  boy,  the  open  mirthfulness  of  whose  bright,  button-like  eyes  was 
in  perfect  keeping  with  his  dancing  little  feet.  The  stranger  was  of  a 
grave,  staid  demeanor,  with  a  turban  of  aristocratic  smallness,  sandals 
turning  up  at  the  toe,  a  silken  robe  of  somewhat  subdued  colors,  and  a 
snow-white  tunic  of  gentlemanlike  length  and  unusual  fineness. 

"  Papa,  papa  !  "  said  the  boy,  with  a  merry  little  skip,  and  twitching 
at  the  hand  he  was  holding,  "  Look,  look,  papa  !  there  is  Jesus  Christ's 
man.     Amai!  how  shockingly  white  !  " 

"Jesus  Christ's  man  "  raised  his  eyes  from  the  book  which  he  could 
read  just  as  well  without  eyes,  and  bestowed  one  of  his  brightest  smiles 
upon  the  little  stranger,  just  as  the  couple  were  passing  beyond  the 
corner  of  the  zayat,  but  not  too  late  to  catch  a  bashfully  pleased  recog- 
nition. The  father  did  not  speak  nor  turn  his  head,  but  a  ray  of  sunshine 
went  down  into  the  missionary's  heart  from  those  happy  little  eyes ;  and 
he  somehow  felt  that  his  hour's  reading  had  not  been  thrown  away.  He 
had  remarked  this  man  before  in  other  parts  of  the  town ;  and  had  striven 
in  various  ways  to  attract  his  attention,  but  without  success.  He  was 
evidently  known,  and  most  probably  avoided ;  but  the  child,  with  that 
shy,  pleased,  half-confiding,  roguish  sort  of  smile,  seemed  sent  as  an  en- 
couraging messenger.  The  missionary  continued  his  reading  with  an 
increase  of  earnestness  and  emphasis.  A  priest  wrapped  his  yellow 
robes  about  him  and  sat  down  upon  the  steps,  as  though  for  a  moment's 
rest.  Then  another  stranger  came  up  boldly,  and  with  considerable 
ostentation,  seated  himself  on  the  mat.  He  proved  to  be  a  philosopher, 
from  the  school  then  recently  disbanded  at  Prome  ;  and  he  soon  drew  on 
a  brisk,  animated  controversy. 

The  missionary  did  not  finish  his  day's  work  with  the  shutting  up  of 
the  zayat.  At  night,  in  his  closet,  he  remembered  both  philosopher  and 
priest ;  pleaded  long  and  earnestly  for  the  scoffing  old  water-bearer ;  and 
felt  a  warm  tear  steahng  to  his  eye,  as  he  presented  the  case  of  the  tall 
stranger,  and  the  laughing,  dancing  ray  of  sunshine  at  his  side. 

Day  after  day  went  by,  as  oppressively  hot,  as  dusty,  and  bringing  as 
many  feverish  winds  as  ever ;  but  the  hours  were  less  wearisome,  because 
many  little  buds  of  hope  had  been  fashioned,  which  might  yet  expand 
into  perfect  flowers.  But  every  day  the  tall  stranger  carried  the  same 
imperturbable  face  past  the  zayat ;  and  every  day  the  child  made  some 
silent  advance  towards  the  friendship  of  the  missionary,  bending  his  half- 
shaven  head,  and  raising  his  little  nut-colored  hand  to  his  forehead,  by 
way  of  salutation,  and  smiling  till  his  round  face  dimpled  all  over  like 


592  THE  LIFE  OF  ADOXIRAM  JUDSON. 

ripples  in  a  sunny  pool.  One  day,  as  the  pair  came  in  sight,  the  mis- 
sionary beckoned  with  his  hand,  and  the  child,  with  a  single  bound, 
came  to  his  knee. 

"  Moung-Moung  !  "  exclaimed  the  father  in  a  tone  of  surprise  blended 
with  anger.  But  the  child  was  back  again  in  a  moment,  with  a  gay 
colored  Madras  handkerchief  wound  around  his  head  ;  and  with  his 
bright  lips  parted,  his  eyes  sparkling,  and  dancing  with  joy,  and  his  face 
wreathed  with  smiles,  he  seemed  the  most  charming  thing  in  nature. 
"Tat  hlah-ihe!"  (ver\'  beautiful)  said  the  child,  touching  his  new  tur- 
ban, and  looking  into  his  father's  clouded  face,  with  the  fearlessness  of 
an  indulged  favorite. 

"  Tai  hlah-the!"  repeated  the  father,  involuntarily.  He  meant  the 
child. 

"  You  have  a  very  fine  boy  there,  sir,"  said  the  missionary,  in  a  tone 
intended  to  be  conciliatory.  The  stranger  turned  with  a  low  salaam. 
For  a  moment  he  seemed  to  hesitate,  as  though  struggling  between  his 
native  politeness  and  his  desire  to  avoid  an  acquaintance  with  the  prose- 
lyting foreigner.  Then  taking  the  hand  of  the  little  boy  who  was  too 
proud  and  happy  to  notice  his  father's  confusion,  he  hastened  away. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  zayat  a  very  good  place  to  go  to,  Moung- 
Moung,"  said  the  father,  gravely,  when  they  were  well  out  of  hearing. 
The  boy  answered  only  by  a  look  of  inquiry  strangely  serious  for  such  a 
face  as  his. 

"These  white  foreigners  are ."     He  did  not  say  what,  but  shook 

his  head  with  mysterious  meaning.  The  boy's  eyes  grew  larger  and 
deeper,  but  he  only  continued  to  look  up  into  his  father's  face  in  wonder- 
ing silence. 

"  I  shall  leave  you  at  home  to-morrow,  to  keep  you  from  his  wicked 
sorceries." 

"  Papa  !  " 

"  What,  my  son  .''  " 

"  I  think  it  will  do  no  good  to  leave  me  at  home.' 

"Why.?" 

"  He  has  done  something  to  me." 

"  Who  ?  the  Kalah-byoo?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  he  has  hurt  me,  papa  ;  but  I  can  not — keep— away — 
no — oh,  no  ! " 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Moung-Moung  }  " 

"  The  sorcerer  has  done  something  to  me — put  his  beautiful  eye  on 
me.  I  see  it  now."  And  the  boy's  own  eyes  glowed  with  a  strange, 
startling  brilliancy. 

"  'Mat,  'maz!  what  a  boy  !     He  is  not  a  sorcerer,  only  a  very  provok- 


APPEXDIX.  ^p^ 

!ng  man.  His  eye — whish  !  It  is  nothing  to  my  little  Moung-Moung-. 
I  was  only  sporting.  But  we  will  ha\~e  done  with  him  ;  you  shall  go 
there  no  more " 

"  If  I  can  help  it,  papa  !  " 

'•  Help  it !     Hear  the  foolish  child  !     What  strange  fancies  !  " 

"  Papa ! " 

•'  What,  my  son  ?  " 

"  You  will  not  be  angry  }  " 

'•  Angry !  "  The  soft  smile  on  that  stern,  bearded  face  was  a  sufficient 
answer. 

"  Is  it  true  that  she — my  mother ?  " 

•'  Hush,  Moung-Moung  !  " 

"  Is  it  true  that  she  ever  shikoed  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  " 

'•  Who  dares  to  tell  you  so  }  " 

"  I  must  not  say,  papa ;  the  one  who  told  me  said  it  was  as  much  as 
life  is  worth  to  talk  of  such  things  to  your  son.     Did  she,  papa?  " 

"  What  did  he  mean  ?     Who  could  have  told  such  a  tale  ?  " 

"  Did  she,  papa  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  very  ^rtity  goung-boung  the  foreigner  gave  you." 

'•  Did  she  }  " 

"  And  makes  your  bright  eyes  brighter  than  ever." 

"  Did  my  mother  shiko  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  }  " 

"There,  there,  you  have  talked  enough,  my  boy,"  said  the  father, 
gloomily ;  and  the  two  continued  their  walk  in  silence.  As  the  conver- 
sation ceased,  a  woman  who,  with  a  palm-leaf  fan  before  her  face,  had 
followed  closely  in  the  shadow  of  the  stranger — so  closely,  indeed,  that 
she  might  have  heard  every  word  that  had  been  spoken  — stopped  at  a 
little  shop  by  the  way,  and  was  soon  seemingly  intent  on  making  pur- 
chases. 

"  Ko  Shway-bay  !  "  called  out  the  missionary.  A  man  bearing  a  large 
satchel,  which  he  had  just  newly  filled  with  books,  appeared  at  the  dooi 
of  an  inner  apartment  of  the  zayat. 

"  'Ken-payah!" 

"  Did  you  observe  the  tall  man  who  just  passed,  leading  a  little  boy.'' ' 

"  I  saw  him." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  him  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  writer  under  government — a  very  respectable  man — haughtj 
— reserved " 

••  And  what  else?  " 

'*  He  hates — Christians,  Tsayah." 

'•  Is  he  very  bigoted,  then  ?  " 
38 


594  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSOy. 

"  No,  Tsayah  ;  he  is  more  like  a  paramtU  than  a  Boodhist.  Grave 
as  he  appears,  he  sometimes  treats  sacred  things  vei^  playfully,  always 
carelessly.  But  does  the  teacher  remember — it  may  be  now  three,  four 
—  I  do  not  know  how  many  years  ago — a  young  woman  came  for 
medicine ?  " 

The  missionary  smiled.  "  I  should  have  a  wonderful  memor}',  Shway- 
bay,  if  I  carried  all  my  applicants  for  medicine  in  it." 

"  But  this  one  was  not  like  other  women.  She  had  the  face  of  a  Jicit- 
tkainee  "  [goddess  or  angelj,  "  and  her  voice — the  teacher  ;«/«/  remem- 
ber her  voice — it  was  like  the  silvery  chimes  of  the  pagoda  bells  at  mid- 
night. She  was  the  favorite  wife  of  the  Sah-ya,  and  this  little  boy,  her 
only  child,  was  very  ill.  She  did  not  dare  ask  you  to  the  house,  or  even 
send  a  servant  for  the  medicine,  for  her  husband  was  one  of  the  most 
violent  persecutors " 

"  Ay,  I  do  recollect  her,  by  her  distress  and  her  warm  gratitude.  So 
this  is  her  child  !     What  has  become  of  the  mother  ?  " 

"  Has  the  teacher  forgotten  putting  a  Gospel  of  Matthew  in  her  hand, 
and  saying  that  it  contained  medicine  for  her,  for  that  she  was  afflicted 
with  a  worse  disease  than  the  fever  of  her  little  son  ;  and  then  lifting  up 
his  hands  and  praying  very  solemnly .'  " 

"  I  do  not  recall  the  circumstance  just  now.     But  what  came  of  it .-'  " 

"  They  saj',"  answered  the  Burman,  lowering  his  voice,  and  first  cast- 
ing an  investigating  glance  around  him — "  they  say  that  the  medicine 
cured  her." 

"Ah!" 

"She  read  the  book  nights,  while  watching  by  her  baby,  and  then  she 
would  kneel  down  and  pray  as  the  teacher  had  done.  At  last  the  Sah- 
ya  got  the  writing." 

"  What  did  he  do  with  it }  " 

"Only  burnt  it.  But  she  was  a  tender  little  creature,  and  could  not 
bear  his  look  ;  so,  as  the  baby  got  out  of  danger,  she  took  the  fever — " 

"  And  died  ?  "  asked  the  missionary,  remarking  some  hesitation  in  the 
manner  of  his  narrator. 

"  Not  of  the  fever  altogether," 
"  What  then  ?     Surely,  he  did  not  — " 

"  No,  Tsayah  /  it  must  have  been  an  angel-call.  The  Sah-ya  was 
very  fond  of  her,  and  did  everything  to  save  her;  but  she  just  grew  weak- 
er, day  after  day,  and  her  face  more  beautiful ;  and  there  was  no  holding 
her  back.  She  got  courage  as  she  drew  near  Paradise,  and  begged  the 
Sah-ya  to  send  for  you.  He  is  not  a  hard-hearted  man,  and  she  was 
more  than  life  and  soul  to  him ;    but  he  would  not  send.     And  so  she 


APPENDIX.  595 

died,  talking  to  the  last  inoment  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  calling  on 
everybody  about  her  to  love  him,  and  worship  none  but  him." 

"  Is  this  true,  Shway-bay  ?  " 

"  I  know  nothing-  about  it,  Tsayah  ;  and  it  is  not  very  safe  to  know 
anything.  The  Sah-ya  has  taken  an  oath  to  destroy  every  body  having 
too  good  a  memory.  But," — and  the  man  again  looked  cautiously 
around  him — "  does  the  teacher  think  that  little  Burman  children  are 
likely  to  run  into  the  arms  of  foreigners  without  being  taught  ?  " 

"  Aha  !  say  you  so,  Shway-bay  ?  " 

"  I  say  nothing,  Tsayah." 

"  What  of  the  child?" 

"  A  wonderful  boy,  Tsayah.  He  seems  usually  as  you  have  seen 
him  ;  but  he  has  another  look — so  strange  !  He  must  have  caught  some- 
thing from  his  mother's  face  just  before  she  went  up  to  the  golden 
country." 

The  missionary  seemed  lost  in  thought ;  and  the  assistant,  after  wait- 
ing a  moment  to  be  questioned  further,  slung  his  satchel  over  his  shoul- 
der, and  proceeded  up  the  street. 

The  next  day  the  missionary  remarked  that  the  Sah-ya  went  by  on 
the  other  side  of  the  way,  and  without  the  little  boy ;  and  the  next  day, 
and  the  next  thesam.e.  In  the  meantime,  the  wrinkled  old  water-bearer 
had  become  a  sincere  inquirer,  "The  one  shall  be  taken  and  the  other 
left,"  sighed  the  missionary,  as  he  tried  to  discern  the  possible  fate  of 
his  bright-eyed  little  friend. 

The  fourth  day  came.  The  old  water-bearer  was  in  an  agitated  state 
of  joy  and  doubt — a  timid  but  true  believer.  The  self-confident  philoso- 
pher had  almost  ceased  to  cavil.  Fresh  inquirers  had  appeared,  and  the 
missionary's  heart  was  strengthened.  "  It  is  dull  work,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, though  without  any  expression  of  dullness  in  his  face  ;  "but  it  is 
the  Saviour's  own  appointed  way,  and  the  way  the  Holy  Spirit  will 
bless."  Then  his  thoughts  turned  to  the  stern  Sah-ya  and  his  little  boy  ; 
and  he  again  murmured,  with  more  of  dejection  in  his  manner  than  when 
he  had  spoken  of  the  dullness  of  the  work,  "And  the  other  left— the 
other  left  1" 

The  desponding  words  had  scarcely  passed  his  lips  when,  with  a  light 
laugh,  the  very  child  who  was  in  his  thoughts,  and  who  somehow  clung 
so  tenaciously  to  his  heart,  sprang  up  the  steps  of  the  zayat,  followed  by 
his  grave,  dignified  father.  The  boy  wore  his  new  Madras  turban,  ar- 
ranged with  a  pretty  sort  of  jauntiness,  and  above  its  showy  folds  he 
carried  a  red  lacquered  tray  with  a  cluster  of  golden  plantains  on  it. 
Placing  the  gift  at  the  missionary's  feet,  he  drew  back  with  a  pleased 


596  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

smile  of  boyish   shyness,  while  the  man,  bowing  courteous  ly,  took  his 
seat  upon  the  mat. 

"  Sit  down,  Moung-Moung,  sit  down,"  said  the  father,  in  tlje  low  tone 
that  American  parents  use  when  reminding  careless  little  boys  of  their 
hats  ;  for,  though  Burmans  and  Americans  differ  somewhat  in  their  pe- 
culiar notions  of  etiquette,  the  children  of  both  races  seem  equally  averse 
to  becoming  learners. 

"  You  are  the  foreign  priest,"  he  remarked  civilly,  and  more  by  way  of 
introduction  than  inquir)'. 

"  I  am  a  missionaiy. " 

The  stranger  smiled,  for  he  had  purposely  avoided  the  offensive  epi- 
thet, and  was  amused  and  conciliated  by  the  missionary's  frank  use  of  it. 
"And  so  you  make  people  believe  in  Jesus  Christ.'  " 

"I  try  to." 

The  visitor  laughed  outright ;  then,  as  if  a  little  ashamed  of  his  rude- 
ness, he  composed  his  features,  and  with  his  usual  courtesy  resumed, 
"My  little  son  has  heard  of  you,  sir;  and  he  is  very  anxious  to  learn 
something  about  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  a  pretty  story  that  you  tell  of  that 
man — prettier,  I  think,  than  any  of  our  fables  ;  and  you  need  not  be 
afraid  to  set  it  forth  in  its  brightest  colors ;  for  my  Moung-Moung  will 
never  see  through  its  absurdity,  of  course," 

The  missionary  threw  a  quick,  scrutinizing  glance  on  the  face  of  his 
visitor.  He  saw  that  the  man  was  ill  at  ease,  that  his  carelessness  was 
entirely  assumed,  and  that  underneath  all,  there  was  a  deep,  wearing 
anxiety,  which  he  fancied  was  in  some  way  connected  with  his  boy. 
"  Ah  !  you  think  so  }     To  what  particular  story  do  you  allude .?  " 

"  Why,  that  of  the  strange  sort  of  being  you  call  Jesus  Christ — a  nat, 
or  prince,  or  something  of  that  sort — dying  for  us  poor  fellows,  and  so- 
ha,  ha  !  The  absurdity  of  the  thing  makes  me  laugh  ;  though  there  is 
something  in  it  beautiful,  too.  Our  stupid  pongyees  would  never  have 
thought  out  anything  one  half  so  fine  ;  and  the  pretty  fancy  has  quite 
enchanted  Utile  Moung-Moung  here." 

"  I  perceive  you  are  3i  pdranidt,"  said  the  missionary. 

"  No— oh,  no  ;  I  am  a  true  worshipper  of  Lord  Gaudama ;  but  of  course 
neither  you  nor  I  subscribe  to  all  the  fables  of  our  respective  religions. 
There  is  quite  enough  that  is  honest  and  reasonable  in  our  Boodhistic 
system  to  satisfy  me  ,  but  my  little  son  "  (here  the  father  seemed  embar- 
rassed, and  laughed  again,  as  though  to  cover  his  confusion)  "  is  bent  on 
jihilosophical  investigation — eh,  Moung-Moung.'" 

"  But  are  you  not  afraid  that  my  teachings  will  do  the  child  harm  .' " 

The  visitor  looked  up  with  a  broad  smile  of  admiration,  as  though  he 
would  have  said,  "  Yoa  are  a  very  honest  fellow,  after  all  ;"  then  regard- 


APPENDIX. 


597 


ing  the  child  with  a  look  of  mingled  tenderness  and  apprehension,  he 
said  softly,  "  Nothing  can  harm  little,  Moung-Moung,  sir." 

"  But  what  if  I  should  tell  you  I  do  believe  everything  I  preach,  as 
firmly  as  I  believe  you  sit  on  the  mat  before  me  ;  and  that  it  is  the  one 
desire  of  my  life  to  make  everybody  else  believe  it — you  and  your  child 
among  the  rest  ?  " 

The  Sah-ya  tried  to  smile,  tried  to  look  unconcerned  ;  but  his  easy 
nonchalance  of  manner  seemed  utterly  to  forsake  him  in  his  need  ;  and 
finally  abandoning  the  attempt  to  renew  his  former  tone  of  banter,  he 
answered  quietly,  "  I  have  heard  of  a  writing  you  possess,  which,  by  your 
leave,  I  will  take  home  and  read  to  Moung-Moung." 

The  missionary  selected  a  little  tract  from  the  parcel  on  the  table  be- 
side him,  and  extended  it  to  his  visitor.  "  Sah-ya,"  said  he,  solemnly, 
"  I  herewith  put  into  your  hands  the  key  to  eternal  life  and  happiness. 
This  active,  intelligent  soul  of  yours,  with  its  exquisite  perception  of 
moral  beauty  and  loveliness,"  and  he  glanced  toward  the  child,  "  cannot 
be  destined  to  inhabit  a  dog,  a  monkey,  or  a  worm,  in  another  life.  God 
made  it  for  higher  purposes  ;  and  I  hope  and  pray  that  I  may  yet  meet 
you,  all  beautiful,  and  pure,  and  glorious,  in  a  world  beyond  the  reach  of 
pain  or  death,  and  above  all,  beyond  the  reach  of  sin." 

Up  to  this  time  the  boy  had  sat  upon  his  mat  like  a  statue  of  silence  ; 
his  usually  dancing  eyes  fixed  steadfastly  upon  the  speakers,  and  grad- 
ually dilating  and  acquiring  a  strange,  mystic  depth  of  expression,  of 
which  they  seemed  at  first  incapable.  At  these  words,  however,  he 
sprang  forward. 

"  Papa  !  papa  !  hear  him  I  Let  us  both  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ! 
My  mother  loved  him  ;  and  in  the  golden  country  of  the  blest  she  waits 
for  us." 

"  1  must  go,"  said  the  Sah-ya  hoarsely,  and  attempting  to  rise. 

"  Let  us  pray  !  "  said  the  missionary,  kneeling  down. 

The  child  laid  his  two  hands  together,  and  placing  them  against  his 
forehead,  bowed  his  head  to  the  mat ;  while  the  father  yielded  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  case  so  far  as  to  re-seat  himself.  Gradually,  as 
the  fervent  prayer  proceeded,  his  head  drooped  a  little ;  and  it  was  not 
long  before  he  placed  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  and  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands.  As  soon  as  the  prayer  was  ended,  he  rose,  bowed  in  silence, 
took  his  child  by  the  hand,  and  walked  away. 

Day  after  day  went  by,  the  Sah-ya,  as  he  passed  the  zayat,  always  sa- 
luting its  occupant  respectfully,  but  evincing  no  disposition  to  cultivate 
his  acquaintance  farther.  He  was  accompanied  by  the  boy  less  often 
than  formerly  ;  but,  from  casual  opportunities,  the  missionary  remarked 
that  a  strange  look  of  thoughtfulness  had  crept  into  the  childish  face, 


5  98  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 

softening  and  beautifying,  though  scarcely  saddening  it.  And  when 
occasionally  the  little  fellow  paused  for  a  moment,  to  ask  for  a  book,  or 
exchange  a  word  of  greeting,  the  gay  familiarity  of  his  manner  seemed 
to  have  given  place  to  a  tender,  trustful  affection,  somewhat  tinctured 
with  awe. 

Meanwhile  that  terrible  scourge  of  Eastern  nations,  the  cholera,  had 
made  its  appearance,  and  it  came  sweeping  through  the  town  with  its 
usual  devastating  power.  Fires  were  kindled  before  every  house,  and 
kept  burning  night  and  day;  while  immense  processions  continually 
thronged  the  streets  with  gongs,  drums,  and  tom-toms,  to  frighten  away 
the  evil  spirits,  and  so  arrest  the  progress  of  the  disease.  The  zayat 
was  closed  for  lack  of  visitors ;  and  the  missionaiy  and  his  assistants 
busied  themselves  in  attending  on  the  sick  and  dying. 

It  was  midnight  when  the  over-wearied  foreigner  was  roused  from  his 
slumbers  by  the  calls  of  the  faithful  Ko  Shway-bay. 

"  Teacher,  teacher,  you  are  wanted  !  " 

"  Where .?  " 

The  man  lowered  his  voice  almost  to  a  whisper;  but,  putting  his 
hands  to  each  side  of  his  mouth,  sent  the  volume  of  sound  through  a 
crevice  in  the  boards.     "  At  the  Sah-yas." 

"  Who  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,  Tsayah.  I  only  heard  that  the  cholera  was  in  the 
house,  and  the  teacher  was  wanted,  and  so  I  hurried  off  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  missionary  had  joined  his  assistant,  and  they 
proceeded  on  their  way  together.  As  they  drew  near  the  house,  the 
Burman  paused  in  the  shadow  of  a  bamboo  hedge. 

"  It  is  not  good  for  either  of  us,  that  we  go  in  together  ;  I  will  wait 
you  here,  Tsayah." 

"  No,  you  need  rest ;  and  I  shall  not  want  you — go  ! 

The  ver  ndah  was  thronged  with  relatives  and  dependents  ;  and  from 
an  inner  room  came  a  wild,  wailing  sound,  which  told  that  death  was 
already  there.  No  one  seemed  to  observe  the  entrance  of  the  foreigner ; 
and  he  followed  the  sound  of  woe  till  he  stood  by  the  corpse  of  a  little 
child.     Then  he  paused  in  deep  emotion. 

"  He  has  gone  up  to  the  golden  country,  to  bloom  forever  amid  the 
royal  lilies  of  Paradise,"  murmured  a  voice  close  to  his  ear. 

The  missionary,  a  little  startled,  turned  abruptly.  A  middle-aged 
woman,  holding  a  palm-leaf  fan  to  her  mouth,  was  the  only  person  near 
him. 

"  He  worshipped  the  true  God,"  she  continued,  suffering  the  individu- 
ality of  her  voice  to  glide  away  and  mingle  the  wail  of  the  mourners,  and 


APPENDIX. 


599 


occasionally  slurring  a  word  which  she  dared  not  pronounce  with  dis- 
tinctness; "he  worshipped  the  true  God,  and  trusted  in  the  Lord  our 
Redeemer — the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  trusted  in  Him.  He  called  and  he 
was  answered,  he  was  weary,  weary  and  in  pain  ;  and  the  Lord  who 
loved  him.  He  took  him  home  to  be  a  little  golden  lamb  in  His  bosom 
forever." 

"  How  long,  since,  did  he  go  ?  " 

"About  an  hour,  Tsayah."  Then  joining  in  the  wail  again,  "An 
hour  amid  the  royal  lilies  ;  and  his  mother — his  own  beautiful  mother — 
she  of  the  starry  eyes  and  silken  hand " 

"  Was  he  conscious  ?  " 

"Conscious  and  full  of  joy." 

"What  did  he  talk  of.?  " 

"  Only  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose  face  he  seemed  to  see  ! " 

"And  his  father.?  " 

"  His  father — oh,  my  master !  my  noble  master  !  he  is  going,  too  ! 
Come  and  see.  Tsayah  !  " 

"Who  sent  for  me?  " 

"Your  handmaid,  sir." 

"  Not  the  Sah-ya  ?  " 

The  woman  shook  her  head.  "  The  agony  was  on  him — he  could  not 
have  sent,  if  he  would." 

"  But  how  dared  you  ?  " 

There  was  a  look  such  as  might  have  been  worn  by  the  martyrs  of  old 
upon  the  woman's  face  as  she  expressly  answered,  "  God  was  here  I  " 

In  the  next  apartment  lay  the  fine  figure  of  the  Sah-ya,  stretched  upon 
a  couch,  evidently  in  the  last  stage  of  the  fearful  disease— his  pain  all 
gone. 

"It  grieves  me  to  meet  you  thus,  my  friend,"  remarked  the  visitor,  by 
way  of  testing  the  dying  man's  consciousness. 

The  Sah-ya  made  a  gesture  of  impatience.  Then  his  fast  stiffening 
lips  stirred,  but  they  were  powerless  to  convey  a  sound  ;  there  was  a 
feeble  movement,  as  though  he  would  have  pointed  at  something,  but 
his  half-raised  fiinger  wavered  and  sunk  back  again ;  and  a  look  of  dis- 
satisfaction amounting  to  anxiety  passed  over  his  countenance.  Finally 
renewing  the  effort,  he  succeeded  in  laying  his  two  hands  together,  and 
with  some  difficulty  lifted  them  to  his  forehead ;  and  then  quietly  and 
calmly  closed  his  eyes. 

"  Do  you  trust  in  Lord  Gaudama  in  a  moment  like  this  ?  "  inquired 
the  missionary,  uncertain  for  whom  the  act  of  worship  was  intended. 
There  was  a  quick  tremor  in  the  shut  lids,  and  the  poor  Sah-ya  un- 
closed his  eyes  with  an  expression  of  mingled  pain  and  disappointment  ; 


6oo  THE  LIFE  OF  ADONTRAM  JUDSO^T. 

while  the  death-heavy  hands  slid  from  their  position  back  upon  the  pil- 
low. 

"  Lord  Jesus,  receive  his  spirit,'^  exclaimed  the  missionary,  solemnly. 

A  bright,  joyous  smile  flitted  across  the  face  of  the  dying  man,  part- 
ing the  lips,  and  even  seeming  to  shed  light  upon  the  glazed  eyes ;  a 
sigh-like  breath  fluttered  his  bosom  for  a  moment ;  the  finger  which  he 
had  before  striven  to  lift,  pointed  distinctly  upward,  then  fell  heavily 
across  his  breast ;  and  the  disembodied  spirit  stood  in  the  presence  of  its 
Maker. 

The  thrilling  death-wail  commenced  with  the  departure  of  the  breath  ; 
for  although  several  who  had  been  most  assiduous  in  their  attentions, 
glided  away  when  it  was  ascertained  that  he  who  would  have  awarded 
their  fidelity  was  gone  ;  there  were  yet  many  who  were  prevented,  some 
by  real  affection,  some  by  family  pride,  from  so  far  yielding  to  their  fears, 
as  to  withhold  the  honors  due  to  the  departed. 

"  You  had  better  go  now,"  whispered  the  woman,  "  you  can  do  no 
further  good,  and  may  receive  harm." 

"And  who  are  you  that  you  have  braved  the  danger  to  yourself  of 
bringing  me  here  ?  " 

"Pass  on,  and  I  will  tell  you." 

They  drew  near  the  body  of  the  child,  which,  by  the  rush  to  the  other 
apartment,  had  been  left,  for  a  moment,  alone. 

"  See  !  "  said  the  woman,  lifting  the  cloth  reverently.  A  copy  of  the 
Gospel  of  Matthew  lay  on  his  bosom. 

"  Who  placed  it  there  ?  " 

"  He  did,  with  his  own  dear  little  hand — Amai  !  amai-ai  !  "  and  the 
woman's  voice  gave  expression  to  one  swell  of  agony,  and  then  died  away 
in  a  low  wail,  like  that  which  proceeded  from  the  adjoining  room. 
Presently  she  resumed,  "  I  was  his  mother's  nurse.  She  got  this  book 
of  you,  sir.  We  thought  my  master  burned  it,  but  he  kept,  and  maybe 
studied  it.     Do  you  think  that  he  became  a  true  believer.?  " 

"  To  whom  did  he  s^z'ko  at  the  last  moment,  Mah-aa  ?  " 

"  To  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ — I  am  sure  of  that.  Do  you  think  the 
Lord  would  receive  him,  sir  ?  " 

"  Do  you  ever  read  about  the  thief  who  was  crucified  with  the 
Saviour?'' 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  I  read  it  to  Moung-Moung  this  very  day.  He  was  holding 
his  mother's  book  when  the  disease  smote  him  ;  and  he  kept  it  in  his 
hand,  and  2t>enf  up,  with  it  lying, on  his  bosom.     Yes,  I  remember." 

"  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  just  as  merciful  now  as  he  was  then." 

"And  so  they  are  all oh,  'ken-payah!  it  is  almost  too  much  to 

believe  ! " 


APPENDIX.  60 1 

"  When  did  you  first  become  acquainted  with  this  rehgion,  Mah-aa  ?  " 

"  My  mistress  taught  me,  sir  ;  and  made  me  promise  to  teach  her 
baby  when  he  was  old  enough  ;  and  to  go  to  you  for  more  instruction. 
But  I  was  alone,  and  afraid.  I  sometimes  got  as  far  as  the  big  banyan 
tree  on  the  corner,  and  crawled  away  again  so  trembling  with  terror, 
that  I  could  scarcely  stand  upon  my  feet.  At  last  I  found  out  Ko 
Shway-bay,  and  he  promised  to  keep  my  secret ;  and  he  gave  me  books, 
and  explained  their  meaning,  and  taught  me  how  to  pray,  and  I  have 
been  getting  courage  ever  smce.  I  should  not  much  mind  now,  if  they 
did  find  me  out  and  kill  me.  It  would  be  very  pleasant  to  go  up  to 
Paradise.  1  think  I  should  even  like  to  go  to-night,  if  the  Lord  would 
please  to  take  me." 

It  was  two  or  three  weeks  before  the  missionary  resumed  his  custom- 
ary place  in  the  zayat  by  the  wayside.  His  hearers  were  scattered  widely  ; 
in  the  neighboring  jungles,  in  far-off  towns,  and  in  that  other  place  from 
whence  "no  traveller  returns." 

Where  was  his  last  hopeful  inquirer  .? 

Dead. 

Where  the  priest  ? 

Dead. 

Where  the  philosopher  ? 

Fled  away,  none  knew  whither. 

And  the  poor  old  water-bearer  ? 

Dead — died  like  a  dog  in  its  kennel ;  and  but  that  some  pitying  Chris- 
tian had  succeeded  in  discovering  her  at  the  last  moment,  without  a 
human  witness.  But — and  the  missionary's  heart  swelled  with  gratitude 
to  God  as  he  thought  of — there  were  other  witnesses,  nobler,  tenderer, 
dearer  to  that  simple,  lone  old  creature,  than  all  the  earthly  friends  that 
ever  thronged  a  death-bed  ;  and  these  had  been  her  bright,  rejoicing 
convoy  to  the  Saviour's  presence. 

Oh  !  how  full  of  awe,  how  fearfully  laden  with  the  solemn  interests  of 
eternity,  appeared  this  wondrous  work  of  his  !  And  how  broad  and 
clear  seemed  his  sacred  commission,  as  though  at  that  moment  newly 
traced  by  the  finger  of  Jehovah  ! 


DATE  DUE 

JAI 

^  ^()7n 

)7 

DEC 

22  20( 

If 

I 

1 

GAYU3HD 

PRINTED  IN  aSJ^. 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 

0031257330 


."^'fev^'^     -^^'2.<2, 


Judson 

Life  of  Adoniram  Judson, 


BromEDONOT 
PHOTOCOPY 


